Book Blurb:
Story of a girl Meera, who is unwittingly drawn into a conflict from where she finds it difficult to emerge unscathed. It's her journey from being a simple, medical graduate belonging to a middle class family to the uncharted territories of corruption and caste based politics. Her path is crossed by the two men, both compelling yet completely contrasting characters, who are forever going to change her life. If it is Aman who can challenge her ideals and defy her resolves, and makes her the person she finally becomes, it is Abhay's sublime love which enables her to go through the vicissitudes of life. It's also the story of her loss as well as triumph against her own demons to find her true self.
Dr.Madhu Vajpayee- the writer was born somewhere in those hospital corridors where she has spent the last two decades of her life. Witnessing life at such close quarters pushed her to capture its enigma in her words and slowly it became her passion. After writing several scientific papers and chapters in books, this book is her first step in literary world.
Having done her graduation, MBBS from King Georges Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow she went ahead to pursue her post-graduation, MD from AIIMS, New Delhi. She was a consultant at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi having been associated with management of patients living with HIV/AIDS. She is now settled in Melbourne, Australia with her family, where she is devoting most of her time to writing, the passion that she couldn’t pursue earlier because of the demands of medical profession and commitment it requires.
When not creating stories, Madhu enjoys reading and travelling.
Reviews for the Book:
It was a perfect book and can motivate one. ~ Nidhi Author on Goodreads
Wonder full book.Clearly highlights the current problems faced in India as a result of reservation! ~ Nikhil Dave on Goodreads
It is one of the amazing fiction I have read in the near past. Highly recommended. Cocktail of Corruption, politics and love. ~ Akshay_Tripathi on Amazon
What Madhu does well with this story is to highlight many factors that need change. She brings out facets like reservation. She talks about the more rigid mindset of an Indian family ~ Vinay Leo @ Booworm's Musings
Hello Madhu, thank you so much for taking the time out to talk to me.
1. First things first: how did you take up writing?
From early childhood, the wonderful habit of reading that was inculcated by my father gradually turned into writing expeditions. What I couldn’t say in words or express myself in its wholeness would find its way to paper and thus began my journey as a writer from an early age. My romance with words would transcend me to the amazing world of ideas, make believe stories and ways to assuage my pain and anxiety.
2. What was your very first attempt at creative writing?
Around the age of 15 or 16, I wrote a poem. Perhaps that was my first attempt at creative writing.
3. Where did you get the ideas for your stories?
It depends. Sometimes from lives of the people I know about, sometimes from any incident, any story in newspaper, sometimes from any book or movie.
4. What in particular gave you the idea for Seeking Redemption?
The idea for Seeking Redemption came from what I was observing, the things that were happening around me. It is a story of every youth of the country who is trying to win a losing battle in backdrop of caste based reservation and corruption prevalent in education and medical sector. It’s their effort to seek redemption from the curse that is eating away the inner fabric of such a beautiful country. The story revolves around the three main characters. There are Meera and Aman who are deeply in love and who unwittingly found themselves pitted against the system. Justice eluded her as well as Aman in their struggle for achieving the life they dreamt, the life they deserved. But, ironically while Meera rises in such difficult times, Aman falls. She tries to help him in spite of her own dilemmas but he misunderstands her. And there is Abhay, the other man in her life, a friend but who secretly loves her and gives her unconditional support through all the ups and down.
5. Do you have particular schedules or writing routines when it comes to your work?
No particular time. Whenever my creative instincts push me to play with words and create some magic in the process, I spontaneously start scribbling. When not writing, most of the time, story is going on in my head and I am busy creating and recreating the scenes and dialogues.
6. A lot of authors are taking the indie publishing route. What’s your view about it?
I believe that it’s a great alternative to the traditional publishing. Somehow I feel that process of publication is very unpredictable one. There is no set rules to get traditionally published. Sometimes it’s just sheer luck and coincidence to be picked by big publishers. You have no idea what’s going to click with publishers here. It’s completely uncharted territory where nothing is defined. Indie publishing provides a good opportunity for authors who believe in their work and have courage to go ahead on their own. Only thing that is limiting factor here is promotion. The promotion one gets through traditional publisher is simply unimaginable in self-publishing. But having said that, I believe no one can stop talent and hard work from shining, albeit it may take some time.
7. If your story got turned into a movie, who would you like to see star as leads?
Shraddha Kapoor as Meera
Aditya Roy Kapoor as Aman
Shahid Kapoor as Abhay
8. What are your future plans for writing? Can you give out a teaser or two for your readers?
I have already finished my second one. It is under consideration for publication. Currently I am writing the third one, a romance.
Teaser of the second book:Dev Khanna is a dynamic young man in his late twenties thriving on his life as an immigrant. He adores his tranquil suburban life with his beautiful wife Radhika and an infant son Neel in Melbourne after migrating from New Delhi five years ago. This is until he receives an unexpected letter from a woman named Saira from India which forces him to travel to country of his birth. He had vowed never to return but as it is said some promises are meant to be broken. He has to go back to India to return a favor to Saira who strangely enough is the same woman who was the cause of his predicament while he was living in India and incidentally also a reason for his decision to not to stay in India. However she is the only one because of whom Dev was able to ensure his mother died with a smile on her lips. He, is indebted to her for this and now he has to return the favor. The test is tough as Saira’s daughter is missing during the communal flare up in Moradabad. There is no breakthrough in the case and Dev has to help Saira in finding her. But the ethics imbibed in him by his mother are tougher and he soars through all that comes his way to reach his destination. The story spanning across eight sections traverses from India to Australia and then back to India again as Dev returns to fulfil his promise in the city that has been ravaged by communal violence. In the process, not only he has to deal with the dark realities of life, the pain, the fear, the agony and death of people who are unwittingly entrapped in such difficult situation but also has to risk his own life in his search of the missing girl.
Will he be able to find answers to those questions that keep haunting him about his quest? Will he be able to save his marriage that is tested beyond Radhika’s love and endurance? Will he be able to find the missing girl?Will he be able to return the favor he owes to Saira in a situation where it’s just impossible to survive?
Besides touching the sensitive issue of communalism arising from social milieu of Hindu-Muslim in India, the story touches the depth of emotions of its characters. It elucidates the complex nature of human relationships in backdrop of challenges that promise to test every ounce of their patience.
9. Do have any particular authors who inspire your work?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Kite Runner by Khaled Husseini, Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Exodus by Leon Uris, Fault in our stars by John Green to name few of them.
10. What would your advice be to aspiring authors?
Never give up. We are bigger than anything that can happen to us. Write because you love it. Not because you want to become author like everybody else. To get opportunity to be a published author will just be a coincidence and perhaps also your good fortune!
11. What would be an ideal gift for you?
A good book.
12. And finally, if there was a book you could turn into a movie, what would it be and why?
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Thank you once again for talking me. I wish you all the best with your current work and future works.
Reviews for the Book:
It was a perfect book and can motivate one. ~ Nidhi Author on Goodreads
Wonder full book.Clearly highlights the current problems faced in India as a result of reservation! ~ Nikhil Dave on Goodreads
It is one of the amazing fiction I have read in the near past. Highly recommended. Cocktail of Corruption, politics and love. ~ Akshay_Tripathi on Amazon
What Madhu does well with this story is to highlight many factors that need change. She brings out facets like reservation. She talks about the more rigid mindset of an Indian family ~ Vinay Leo @ Booworm's Musings
In Conversation with Dr. Madhu Vajpayee:
Hello Madhu, thank you so much for taking the time out to talk to me.
1. First things first: how did you take up writing?
From early childhood, the wonderful habit of reading that was inculcated by my father gradually turned into writing expeditions. What I couldn’t say in words or express myself in its wholeness would find its way to paper and thus began my journey as a writer from an early age. My romance with words would transcend me to the amazing world of ideas, make believe stories and ways to assuage my pain and anxiety.
2. What was your very first attempt at creative writing?
Around the age of 15 or 16, I wrote a poem. Perhaps that was my first attempt at creative writing.
3. Where did you get the ideas for your stories?
It depends. Sometimes from lives of the people I know about, sometimes from any incident, any story in newspaper, sometimes from any book or movie.
4. What in particular gave you the idea for Seeking Redemption?
The idea for Seeking Redemption came from what I was observing, the things that were happening around me. It is a story of every youth of the country who is trying to win a losing battle in backdrop of caste based reservation and corruption prevalent in education and medical sector. It’s their effort to seek redemption from the curse that is eating away the inner fabric of such a beautiful country. The story revolves around the three main characters. There are Meera and Aman who are deeply in love and who unwittingly found themselves pitted against the system. Justice eluded her as well as Aman in their struggle for achieving the life they dreamt, the life they deserved. But, ironically while Meera rises in such difficult times, Aman falls. She tries to help him in spite of her own dilemmas but he misunderstands her. And there is Abhay, the other man in her life, a friend but who secretly loves her and gives her unconditional support through all the ups and down.
5. Do you have particular schedules or writing routines when it comes to your work?
No particular time. Whenever my creative instincts push me to play with words and create some magic in the process, I spontaneously start scribbling. When not writing, most of the time, story is going on in my head and I am busy creating and recreating the scenes and dialogues.
6. A lot of authors are taking the indie publishing route. What’s your view about it?
I believe that it’s a great alternative to the traditional publishing. Somehow I feel that process of publication is very unpredictable one. There is no set rules to get traditionally published. Sometimes it’s just sheer luck and coincidence to be picked by big publishers. You have no idea what’s going to click with publishers here. It’s completely uncharted territory where nothing is defined. Indie publishing provides a good opportunity for authors who believe in their work and have courage to go ahead on their own. Only thing that is limiting factor here is promotion. The promotion one gets through traditional publisher is simply unimaginable in self-publishing. But having said that, I believe no one can stop talent and hard work from shining, albeit it may take some time.
7. If your story got turned into a movie, who would you like to see star as leads?
Shraddha Kapoor as Meera
Aditya Roy Kapoor as Aman
Shahid Kapoor as Abhay
8. What are your future plans for writing? Can you give out a teaser or two for your readers?
I have already finished my second one. It is under consideration for publication. Currently I am writing the third one, a romance.
Teaser of the second book:Dev Khanna is a dynamic young man in his late twenties thriving on his life as an immigrant. He adores his tranquil suburban life with his beautiful wife Radhika and an infant son Neel in Melbourne after migrating from New Delhi five years ago. This is until he receives an unexpected letter from a woman named Saira from India which forces him to travel to country of his birth. He had vowed never to return but as it is said some promises are meant to be broken. He has to go back to India to return a favor to Saira who strangely enough is the same woman who was the cause of his predicament while he was living in India and incidentally also a reason for his decision to not to stay in India. However she is the only one because of whom Dev was able to ensure his mother died with a smile on her lips. He, is indebted to her for this and now he has to return the favor. The test is tough as Saira’s daughter is missing during the communal flare up in Moradabad. There is no breakthrough in the case and Dev has to help Saira in finding her. But the ethics imbibed in him by his mother are tougher and he soars through all that comes his way to reach his destination. The story spanning across eight sections traverses from India to Australia and then back to India again as Dev returns to fulfil his promise in the city that has been ravaged by communal violence. In the process, not only he has to deal with the dark realities of life, the pain, the fear, the agony and death of people who are unwittingly entrapped in such difficult situation but also has to risk his own life in his search of the missing girl.
Will he be able to find answers to those questions that keep haunting him about his quest? Will he be able to save his marriage that is tested beyond Radhika’s love and endurance? Will he be able to find the missing girl?Will he be able to return the favor he owes to Saira in a situation where it’s just impossible to survive?
Besides touching the sensitive issue of communalism arising from social milieu of Hindu-Muslim in India, the story touches the depth of emotions of its characters. It elucidates the complex nature of human relationships in backdrop of challenges that promise to test every ounce of their patience.
9. Do have any particular authors who inspire your work?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Kite Runner by Khaled Husseini, Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Exodus by Leon Uris, Fault in our stars by John Green to name few of them.
10. What would your advice be to aspiring authors?
Never give up. We are bigger than anything that can happen to us. Write because you love it. Not because you want to become author like everybody else. To get opportunity to be a published author will just be a coincidence and perhaps also your good fortune!
11. What would be an ideal gift for you?
A good book.
12. And finally, if there was a book you could turn into a movie, what would it be and why?
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Thank you once again for talking me. I wish you all the best with your current work and future works.
Thank you so much for giving such a wonderful opportunity to share my thoughts at this platform.I am grateful for your support!
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