20 January,2012 06:40 AM IST | | the guide team
Love, heartbreak, masala, monsoon: these ingredients will sum up some of the action in the latest Indian edition of Mills & Boons' that hit stands recently. The GUIDE got Aastha Atray-Banan, author of His Monsoon Bride to speak about the journey from journalist to M&B writer
What was the initial experience like as you began your journey of creating an India-centric plot with its characters et al?
It was easy because my book is so relevant to the India we live in today. It all came naturally, as what I had to create was Indian and thus, so up my alley. The girl is like me, a journalist, who wants to make a change. The guy is a businessman who just wants to soar even more. You would find people like these everywhere. I drew from my experiences as a journalist as well.
Author Aastha Atray Banan
How long did it take for you to write the book from cover to cover?
It took around 4-5 months but I really only worked hard around 8 Saturdays. I basically looked at it like an article with a deadline and so used to write for long stretches on the days I got free.
Were you a huge M&B fan? And how much did it help in the process?
I wasn't. I had read my last M&B in college. But writing this book opened my eyes to the genre of romance, which I totally adore now. It's so much harder to write a simple story about love, when nobody believes in it anymore. But I am so happy I finally realised what I am good at.
Describe the book in a sentence to someone who is a first-time M&B reader?
This love story could be yours.
His Monsoon Bride, Aastha Atray-Banan, Mills & Boon, Harlequin India, Rs 125. Available at leading bookstores.
