Interview with debut romance author Shalini Dua

Author Shalini Dua is here today and we’re chatting a little bit about her new YA new adult romantic comedy, The Secret Lives of Royals.

During her virtual book tour, Shalini will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

An international upbringing and a love of stories laid the foundation for wanderlust. Shalini aspires to spend her time country-hopping and consuming pop-culture, comedy and good food but the reality is often frantically downing coffee, meeting deadlines at exactly the last second and working her unglamorous corporate job to fund all of the other pursuits.

The Secret Lives of Royals is Shalini’s debut novel. Her other work includes published poetry and scripts only she has read.

Welcome, Shalini. Please share a little bit about your current release.The Secret Lives of Royals is a contemporary fairytale about a royal secret society. Olivia is trying to make it in the New York publishing world and she is failing spectacularly. Until, out of the blue, she is handed her dream job.

As Olivia steps into the world of New York media, the secrets to her life upgrade are soon revealed. When Olivia learns of The Circle, a secret society with membership based on royal blood, she must decide if the cost of her dreams is worth the price she must pay. Can Olivia handle the weight of the crown?

The Devil Wears Prada meets The Adjustment Bureau in this YA/New Adult crossover tale.

What inspired you to write this book?

The Secret Lives of Royals has been rattling around in my head for years. Inspired by school history lessons, my travels and wanderlust for places I haven’t yet managed to visit, and by my love of food and art; Olivia’s story is a culmination of my journey thus far and the daydreaming I’ve done along the way. This novel is self-published, so I hope you will look past its raw state and enjoy the magic in this contemporary fairytale world.


Excerpt from The Secret Lives of Royals:

We reach a pair of French doors that lead to the main event and they swing open as we approach.

“Welcome to the annual Royal Ball.” Our butler bows as he backs away.

We are greeted head on by music, lights and the brilliance one only finds at a Royal function. An usher directs us down a beautiful marble staircase, covered with a deep red carpet, to the party, which is already in full swing. We begin to descend and I gaze longingly at the gold banisters which would really help to navigate this obstacle course, heels on marble and carpet in front of many important people, as we are being announced.

I’m horrified and sure my face gives me away as I feel myself give in to my natural instincts and trip, about to plummet to a social death if just a physical bruising. Suddenly, I feel a hand around my waist steadying me and hear the announcer say,

“Miss Olivia Grace Thorpland and Mr. Alexander Windsor.” I gasp and find Alex by my side.

“The irony of your temperament and your name, Gracie.” He grins at me and winks subtly. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Look ahead, smile, no one noticed.” We glide down the staircase together, and I feel hot where his fingers are touching my arm. When we reach the bottom, I make my excuses and insist Sophia accompany me to somewhere else, anywhere else. But before I can escape, Alex takes my hand, kisses it and lets me go.

The music fluctuates between classic Hollywood and jazz styles applied to pop songs from the last three decades. It takes me a while to realize these are all being performed by Sheffield and Adeline. I’m at an event where the talent is a three-time Grammy winner and this year’s most trendy pop star. They are accompanied by what I’m sure is a very famous orchestra. To say this evening is surreal would be an understatement and the sensory assault is giving me a dizzying out of body experience. Connor introduces me to a lot of people I apparently should be knowing. However, I’m a little distracted, drinking it all in, and don’t get a lot of what he is telling me.

The most delectable hors d'oeuvres are passed, and I’m enjoying sampling all of them until I almost gag when Sophia says,

“The escargot is divine isn’t it?” and unintentionally informs me that I have just eaten a snail. Right, forgot I’m in France. Unfortunately, Alex chooses that moment to walk over, and I’m gagging as he is trying to get my attention.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m working on the follow-up to The Secret Lives of Royals, a new novel about a circus and a book of poetry.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When, after graduation while working in finance, I couldn’t bring myself to stop writing, even though there was no assignment, no deadline and no impetus for the work.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I work in marketing and content production from 9-5 and I’m a writer 5-9. My day job does involve some copywriting work for a variety of clients. I have to make time to write. It’s very important to me so I have to really commit to it.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I doodle on myself, giving myself temporary tattoos, when I write.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A singer – quickly realized that would never happen as I do not possess even the remote ability to sing.

Links:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with writer Mahlon (Dick) Palmer about his memoir, Destiny

Writer Mahlon (Dick) Palmer is helping me wrap up the month by chatting with me about his memoir, Destiny.

Bio:

Dick grew up on the family dairy farm in upstate New York. At the age of seventeen, immediately following graduation from high school, he joined the US Air Force where he served four years as an Air Weather Observer. Although Dick has no college education, he began working in the field of data processing when that world consisted of IBM punched cards in the early 1960’s.

Almost immediately, Dick became fascinated with the IBM 650 computer when he quickly decided he must learn how to program it, thus the beginning of a thirty plus year career in the field. He has programmed virtually every make of computer up through the early 21st century, using the same methodology Dick began designing computer systems in the Bahamas on a large Navy Contract named AUTEC (Atlantic Underwater Test and Evaluation Center) when he built his first computer system for that contract. The design techniques that he developed and used on that system would become the blueprint that he used for the next twenty-five years while designing systems for the Air Force to include BMEWS and the DEW Line, NASA Apollo 11 and 12.

He then built the largest business system in Lockheed Martin Corporation that is still operational today after nearly thirty years of successful operation. Adding to his computer accomplishments, he has managed major portions of operations on the DEW Line and BMEWS contracts, stretching from Iceland, then across Greenland, Canada and throughout much of Alaska. All of the skills that were necessary to accomplish the above detailed tasks were self-taught. Those skills not only served him well throughout his professional career but also were invaluable in the pursuit of his many hobbies, adventures and ultimately retirement.

Welcome, Dick. Please tell us about your current release.

With Destiny, the writing just flowed, was just there when I sat down to the page. I tried to be as accurate as possible.

It’s the story of my life, starting when I was a small child on a dairy farm and following my career through my time in the Air Force and my work on software and computer systems with Lockheed Martin, the US Navy and Nasa’s Apollo 11 and 12 missions.

And I’ve got quite a story to tell about my destiny, how everything came together for me even when I didn’t realize it at the moment. I’ve taken a few thousand photos since 1954 so have a lot of memories to share and a story that I hope will encourage other people.

What inspired you to write this book?

One day, while selling our family’s honey at the farmers’ market near our house, I suddenly collapsed. Later, I woke up in the hospital after having survived a near-fatal heart attack.

Nurses had to visit my room every half hour to do blood draws in order to monitor my health. I entertained them by telling stories from my life to pass the time. When I left the hospital, they all agreed that I should write a book – which eventually became Destiny.

I’ve never written anything before, and – not to brag – but a friend and fellow farmers’ market vendor, who’s also a lawyer, took a look at this book and asked, ‘wow, who’s your ghostwriter?’

What exciting story are you working on next?

Well, I suspect this will be my only full-length book, but I might take some of the photos that I have collected over decades and put them together into a book, Destiny in Pictures.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I don’t consider myself a writer. I simply wanted to tell the story of my life.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I never wrote full time, I have a full life that includes reading, selling honey at the farmers’ market with my wife, and learning about my other interests – woodworking, small engine repair, dog training, and traveling.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

One of the quirks of my writing style is that I always tell stories, even my own story, in third person. Sounds more natural to me, and I find first person repetitious.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a child I always wanted to grow up and become an adult, since farming was such hard work. On the farm, once you could get up and get places by yourself you were expected to work hard. By five or six years old you were doing as much work as an adult.

Even serving in the Air Force was easier than my farm chores!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I came up with the title for this book last, after reading my story over and realizing that destiny was the thread that pulled my life together.

Some people think this book is about the border collie on the front cover. He was a dog I knew and loved, and I chose that photo for the cover after hiring an illustrator and falling in love with the image. But there’s so much more to this book, it’s the story of my entire life. I admire people who write novels, but I don’t have that much imagination, so I stuck with memoir.

Thanks for being here today, Dick.