We interviewed travel writer and author Reshma Krishnan Barshikar about her debut novel entitled Fade into Red. Read on to learn about Reshma and her work, and to also get some tips on how to write better from the lady herself.
Your debut novel, which was published last year is entitled Fade into Red. Can you please tell us a bit about this story and what made you write it?
Fade Into Red is a multicultural women’s fiction novel based in Tuscany and Mumbai.
Ayra Krishnamurthy is a dusky, slightly neurotic, convent educated, pretty girl’s sidekick that always wanted to be an Art Historian. At twenty, she saw herself flitting between galleries and calling out “Going thrice!” to high maintenance curators and talking Michelangelo and Dali with glamorous ease. Instead at twenty-nine, life has conspired to make her an underpaid investment banker in Mumbai juggling an eccentric family, a fading career and long –distance relationship that is soon becoming a light-year one. But on one monsoon day in July, she is suddenly sent packing from Mumbai to Tuscany to buy a vineyard for a star client. What should have been a four day trip turns into a two week treasure hunt that finds her amidst midnight wine deals, dodgy vintners, rolling Tuscan hills and one playboy millionaire who is looking to taste more than just the wine. Towards the end she finds that the road to true happiness is almost as elusive as that perfect glass of Chianti.
Do you have any other novels in the pipeline? If so, can you please give us a sneak preview of what might be coming next?
Yes, I am currently writing my next novel, a young adult novel. Sadly, I can’t say much more because it’s still in draft mode. 🙂
What things inspire your fiction work?
My dreams play a huge role in my in my work; I have terribly vivid dreams. Otherwise people – my friends, strangers on trains are hugely influential.
Can you please share 3 top tips with authors who want to write a romance novel?
Be authentic. While romance is a perfect way to escape, great writing should be able to make the ridiculous believable and this only comes from authentic writing. This is why Gabriel García Márquez works so well.
Stay from clichés as much as you can. This can be tough as clichés are only clichés because they are often true but put a twist to it to make it more refreshing.
Imagine the scene in your head and wait for it to give you goose pimples; it needs to move you. That’s all that’s required but it needs to make you feel something. If that happens, then even the most clichéd dialogue is working.
Finally- show, don’t tell.
As a keen traveller, is there one place in the world, which you still haven’t been to, but would love to go to and why?
There are so many places I want to go to, but the one journey I want to take is the Trans-Siberian Express from Vladivostok to Moscow, the world’s greatest train journey. It spans seven time zones and offers panoramic views of the Russian landscape.
How can people find out more about you?
Please visit my website at www.reshmakrishnan.com and reach me on Twitter at @rekrishnan.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://writingtipsoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/hv1.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of eBooks India. He is also a prolific eBook writer with over 25 titles to his name.[/author_info] [/author]