Shobhan’s Work
By LMReviews on Mar 3, 2009 in Multicultural Contributors, Multicultural Writing
Welcome back, Shobhan!
SLR. How did you finally get your first book DOWRY BRIDE published, how long did it take? What were some of the challenges and triumphs? What part did Dowry Bride have in writing Forbidden Daughter?
SB: Breaking into the fiction market is tough enough, but for me it was doubly challenging because my books do not fit into any specific genre or even sub-genre, and they are set in a different culture. I just wrote what I liked and hoped some agent and editor out there would appreciate it. It took me over a year to write THE DOWRY BRIDE and another year or more to sign on with a reputable agent. But they were both passionate about my voice and my style, which was both pleasantly surprising and heartening. DOWRY BRIDE and FORBIDDEN DAUGHTER, despite being stand alone single titles, are interwoven, because they both deal with serious women’s issues in the Indian culture. I have another two-book contract with Kensington, my publisher, so I am thrilled that my first two books have been received well.
SLR: If you haven’t heard already, Shobhan is amassing a great following with her newsletter where she keeps her fans up to dates and occasionally holds contests for her readers. Recently, she gave away some great gift representative of the rich Indian culture. I’m sure you don’t want to miss out so run over to Shobhan’s contact page and sign-up for her newsletter and then on to tomorrow when we talk to Shobhan about the Indian influences in her work.
