An IIM Indore and SRCC alumna, a TEDx speaker, a strategy and management consulting professional turned Executive, and Personal Empowerment Life Coach—that’s me. But above all, I am a writer by passion and write something every day. I wake at 5 AM and switch on my laptop to open a blank word document. Then I write what first comes to my mind. Then type another word, and then another. This is my routine every single day.
I am a spontaneous writer with a disciplined writing process, and writing is as much a part of my daily routine as eating and sleeping. Samples of my writing are visible in my home office, the sunny terrace garden, my husband’s car, and the kitchen napkins. I am fortunate that some of these writings have also won awards and found a prominent place in national and international anthologies and platforms around the globe.
I was twelve when I wrote my first story. It was published in my school magazine, and I became an overnight sensation for three days. I followed it up with an article. Then another. Eventually, I became the Chief Editor of my school magazine. Then from college life, balance sheets, corporate strategies, whitepapers, and business articles took center stage while creative writing took a back seat.
In 2018, I rekindled my affair with writing by enrolling in Stanford University’s short writing courses. While pursuing these courses, I completed the first draft of my novel, now published as A Price to Love. I also wrote some short fiction, non-fiction, and poetry samples, for which I got encouraging feedback.
Work matters again took center stage, and I lacked consistency in writing after that.
It was in April 2021, after I quit my corporate job, that I picked up the writing thread again and have been writing something every day since. I write to express, inform, and dabble in all writing forms — articles, blog posts, poems, and stories. However, writing fiction gives me the most satisfaction; I have the creative liberty to create the world I want therein.
By July 2021, I had written so many short stories that I decided to come out with a book of my own. It was a conscious decision to come out with short stories first to target professionals like myself who are busy with their careers and lives and have very short attention spans. A Slice of Life: Every Person Has A Story, containing relatable stories from everyday life, came out in Sep 2021 and became an Amazon bestseller. Earlier this year, it also won a prestigious award.
The overwhelmingly positive reviews for A Slice of Life gave me the confidence to pick up the completed draft of the novel I had written in NaNoWriMo style in 2018. The world had changed from 2018 to 2021, and so had I. I rewrote, edited, rewrote again, and edited some more. I was ecstatic when Readomania decided to publish it after evaluating the manuscript.
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I wrote A Price to Love book to satiate the reader in me and other readers like me. As I grew in life, candyfloss romances that enthralled me in college held no appeal to me in a world where I had to balance family responsibilities with work deadlines. I wanted to read a book with a working female protagonist in the backdrop of India Inc, my professional world. And I could find no such book in fiction by Indian writers. So, I wrote this story showcasing the human side of the professional world.
With reviews like “an unprecedented portrayal of a woman character” and “the book makes you think, feel and react,” A Price to Love is not a run-of-the-mill story but a contemporary tale showcasing the struggles of making a thriving personal life and a successful career tango in the highly competitive corporate arena.
With a stellar academic background, a well-paying job with ample recognition, and a loving life partner — Sonia had it all. Yet her life lacked balance. Why?
You will need to read A Price to Love to find the answer. I invite the reader in you to get your copy now and let me know your views of the book.
relaxing music