Moni Read

I tend to intrigue readers with wild imaginations where the bold heroes have endearing flaws. ~ Ankit Kumar

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Conversation spotlight

(Ankit Kumar & Monika Singh)

1. Please introduce yourself to our readers 

Ankit: I was born in Patna. I first authored the collection of short stories “On A Drive With Life!!" released by Governor of Bihar, Dr. D.Y. Patil. 

“On A Drive With Life!!” received praise from esteemed newspapers, including Hindustan Times, Sahara, and Prabhat Khabar. 

I also received the Youth Achiever mention in Dainik Jagran. 

I pursue writing while working, but I am also a guitarist, traveler, and most importantly, a loving husband.

Author Ankit Kumar

2. What inspired you to write the story of ‘Illume Ashes and The Wind: The Lost Legends of the Illume Trilogy’?

Ankit: Often, inspiration comes from a need to explore certain themes, such as personal growth, loss, or the search for meaning, and transform them into a narrative. 

I always felt more connected to fictional worlds with a wide set of characters that also had a flavor of mythology. Such works often took me on a ride with my own imagination. 

Lord of the Rings, ancient myths from our own history, and many more such instances played a bigger part in shaping this book.

3. Writers mostly write the characters that work well with every other person. But as per the story, Vedic instances and current world revolutions seem together. Why have you decided to give a unique twist to merge life and revolutions of two different eras?

Ankit: Well, there is that famous saying that where there is fire, there is smoke. If we travel through the lanes of history and historical events, and if you even pick up any ancient mythologies, you will find that things of the past are still relevant today. 

Illume does revolve around a world that in the context of my story is pre-Vedic. But the stories are designed in such a manner that they will relate to all our myths, beliefs, rituals, etc. 

Every righteousness, revolution, and bravery take inspiration from the heroes of the past. Illume would do justice in understanding the legends as we know them today. 

If you heed the ancient stories, somehow many of them appear to be the same. Like the end of the world, the world being submerged into one big ocean, myths about Danav, Satan, etc. 

I just wanted to create a link between them and trace it back to an ancient earth, which was previously known as Illume.

4. Kindly tell our readers something more about your book title, ‘Illume Ashes and the Wind: The Lost Legends of Illume’.

Ankit: ILLUME is Almighty’s greatest creation and the ancient name of Earth (not in its current form). 

Though witnessing the illustrious reign of the Manus (Surya and Indra) and the Agasthyas, Illume remains in anarchy. 

The Pragyas of Pragyasth, Sahasyas of Sahasyasth, and Aikyas of Aikyasth were created by the Almighty's children (Ancient Gods). 

But their inter-race rivalries wreak havoc. Things become grim when Danav, the God of all evils, emerges from Almighty’s wrath before the gods abandon Illume. 

For thousands of years, his army remained trapped in the evil land of Pathala and surrounded by their mother Danu. But all was going to change!

Aryan Manu, the chosen bearer of The Golden Sword and the rightful heir to the Pragyam throne, escapes slavery from the Sahasyas, who rule Illume through ruthless dominance. 

Mentored by the wise Ved Vidhyesh, he must accept his despised ancestry and travel a turbulent journey of betrayals, wars, and hate to liberate the ancient cities and find unexpected friends. 

On the other hand, the young Avik Agasthya Aikyam, an Aikyam with equally lustrous ancestry, journeys through a mystifying forest to claim the legendary armor from the Vanars. 

But his revolution to change Aikyasth spirals out of control with blind determination shrouding his conviction. 

Illume is a world ready to reward and punish them for the smallest of mistakes, and it is a world that forces all their relationships to shatter.

Aryan and Avik endeavor parallelly for unique but distinctive causes. 

How would history take their unique encounter? 

And can the legendary armor and sword, mysterious tribes, ancient creatures, and mythical books save Illume? 

Especially when in desperation, the ruthless Sahasyas have unleashed a dark power. The dangers were never greater as Danav has risen again!

Illume Ashes and The Wind: The Lost Legends of the Illume Trilogy

5. Writing a book on a sensitive theme containing powers and personalities closer to the hearts of several people is harder as it contains a lot of time to draft the plots and polish the content so that readers don’t get offended. 

How did you manage to finish it?

Ankit: You are right! It is not easy to please everyone, and it is even harder to not offend anyone. 

My whole purpose of the book is to let the world know that our history, our myths, and our past did shape the world as we know it today. 

If you will read any other major novel, they talk about a world where a western hero saved us all. 

Well, this story was just different in a manner that all the first civilizations would have their heroes from Illume when they first settled on current earth. 

But at the same time, it will talk about heroes who we could relate to as mortals who shaped the world as we know today. 

I have tried to make them dearer to the heart. I feel that is the only one who could not feel offended. 

6. From where did you start your research and get the data to maintain accuracy while keeping it gentle and readable?

Ankit: My focus was to understand the ancient cultures, beliefs, and myths. Many of our beliefs find a core similarity. Just look around; they had similar gods and similar stories and heroes. 

I tried to understand through my research through Google and ancient texts. I did not want to make it a historical book; however, I did try to make it simple and enjoyable. 

For example, certain stories are known to everyone. 

Why not simply pick them and give them a starting point with a flavor of beautiful story telling? 

To be frank, my concept was not accurate, but to blur the lines where the reader would think, “Oh, okay!, I think I have heard it, but it is so different.”

7. How long did it take to finish your book, ‘Illume Ashes and the Wind: The Lost Legends of the Illume Trilogy?’

Ankit: It was a concept that was in my mind for over a decade. The stories took around 5 years to form. 

But I started writing it back in 2017 with an aim to complete it. With the help of The Book Bakers Team, I was able to give it a final shape and present it to the readers. 

It has been a long journey before the book could find its final shape.

8. Please share something about the character “Aryan” that is not in the book blurb.

Ankit: Well, if the readers understand the concept of my book, they will know why I have used the name “Aryan” as one of the main characters. 

Aryan is one of the prominent characters of Illume who leads a revolution, breaks the chains of slavery, saves the world from the terror of Danav, and wins back the trust of his people. 

He is the bearer of the golden sword who would be blessed to enforce the will of the Almighty. 

But that doesn’t mean he is invisible. He has a despised yet illustrious ancestry. 

Many wish him dead as they fear the return of a Manu on the Pragyam throne. 

But under the patronage of Ved Vidhyesh, very much similar to Emperor Chandragupta under Chanakya, Aryan would travel through an adventurous journey. 

He would meet mysterious tribes and ancient creatures and go toe to toe against the vicious forces who would try to keep the world under the boots of misery and division. 

In his turbulent journey, Aryan, like any other person, would have to find friends, face treachery, survive assassinations, and trust his instincts to survive the dangerous yet beautiful world of Illume.

9. Music and writing are totally two different things. You also love playing guitar and traveling. 

So how did you manage to start writing a book?

Ankit: To be frank, one should always find time to pursue one’s passion. While guitar and traveling do play an important role in my daily life, so do writing. 

Writing gives me peace and helps me swim through the wonderful world of imagination. 

So, whether thrice a week, late at night, or in between my travels, I always loved to ponder my thoughts on Illume and write them whenever I got time.

10. What inspired you to write a trilogy?

Ankit: The concept of the book is too big to wrap it up in a single package. But at the same time, I did not wish to make it too lengthy and confusing. 

Illume itself starts with a revolution that has been brewing up for centuries. 

The story would be fast-paced, with a diverse set of characters and a focus to keep the story interesting.

11. From where can readers buy your book?

Ankit: 

Amazon Bookspace Author Website

"Law is my career, but in my heart, I am a story weaver and storyteller." ~ Binendri Perera

Binendri Perera is Author of 7 books. 

She won the award for Best Novel Contribution of the Year in 2009 for her book Nuwanakkari.

"I live and breathe with the characters." ~ Binendri Perera

INTERVIEW

Author Binendri Perera

1. Please introduce yourself to our readers! 

Binendri: I am from Colombo, Sri Lanka. I am a lecturer teaching at the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo. 

I am currently on study leave reading for my D.Phil. at the University of Oxford. 

I have written six books in Sinhala, my mother tongue, and they are published in Sri Lanka. 

Her Truth is my seventh novel and my first English novel. 

2. What inspired you to write the story of "Her Truth"? 

Binendri: I was reading about pro-democracy movements for my academic writings in 2018-2019, and the pro-democracy movements fascinated me.

People came together from within and across countries through social media and street protests for a common cause; they challenged authoritarian regimes armed with police and military powers simply with their unity, bravery, and creativity. 

I wanted to write about the generation that is shaping these movements. I wanted to highlight how women in particular experience and contribute to such movements.

Also, I was writing this book at the beginning of the pandemic, when the lockdowns and COVID restrictions were seeming to threaten the democratic institutions in my country and across the world. 

So I wanted to reiterate my own commitment to democracy in this book.

3. Writers mostly write the characters that work well with every other person. But as per the story, Shreya's unconventional tactics do not sit well with her peers. 

Why have you decided to give a unique twist to the character Shreya? 

Binendri: I have noticed how women are under societal expectation to be ‘nice’ and ‘likable.’ 

Women with strong personalities I have met in my life have always not been universally liked, but they have been amazing in their own ways. 

I have admired them and looked up to them, so I wrote Shreya to be strong and authentic in her own way. 

I also wanted to highlight the bitterness that develops in people who have suffered injustice and when the system is against them. 

I also wanted to show how people can use that bitterness to change their situation and say ‘never again’ to injustice. 

4. Kindly tell our readers something more about your book title, "Her Truth." 

Binendri: I want to highlight that the ‘truth’ in society is often not one thing but a matter of perspective. 

‘Her Truth’ was to spotlight women’s perspectives and women’s experiences. There are two main female characters in the novel, Shreya and Natharie. 

‘Her Truth’ applies to both their stories. The title invites the readers to appreciate their stories and how their stories interact and shape the broader story.

Her Truth by Binendri Perera

5. Writing a book on a sensitive controversial theme containing politics, law, and unconventional tactics is harder as it contains lots of time to draft the plots and polish the content so that readers don't get offended. How did you manage to finish it? 

Binendri: I think my career as an academic is helpful here. I write academic articles on similar themes I have written in my novel, and I present them at conferences to my colleagues. As a lecturer, I also have to facilitate discussions on similar topics. 

In my lectures, I am constantly mindful that I have representation from all of Sri Lanka in my classroom. I aim to challenge my audiences without offending them. 

In my story writing also, I write with similar sentiments. After writing the novel, I shared the first draft with my closest friends, who gave me very helpful comments. I finalized the draft for my agent, the Book Bakers, considering these comments as well. 

6. From where did you start your research and get the data to maintain accuracy while keeping it gentle and readable?  

Binendri: During the period I was writing the book, I had done research on pro-democracy movements for my academic articles. 

I used those source materials to create Tarusti (the fictional county in which my story is based) and its political complexities.

7. How long does it take to finish your book, "Her Truth"? 

Binendri: About four months. I wrote this book in the latter part of 2020, making use of the lockdowns. When I write the book, I am consumed by the book’s world. 

I live and breathe with the characters. So I am able to write regularly once I start a novel.

8. Please share something about the character "Shreya" that is not in the book blurb.

Binendri: Shreya has a crush on a senior at her police academy, whom she thinks is her enemy. 

9. Law and writing are totally two different things. 

You're a lawyer and teach at the Department of Public and International Law of the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo. And you're also doing other great things. 

So how did you manage to start writing a book?

Binendri: Since my career is demanding, I do struggle to find time for story writing.

Since my career is demanding, I do struggle to find time for story writing. Especially these days, I find that I don’t have the energy for story writing after working hard on my Ph.D. thesis. 

But I am always on the lookout for new story ideas, even while I am reading law books and cases. 

Any new experience could also be an inspiration for a new story. So I am plotting storylines at the most random moments and building momentum to write the next novel. 

Law is my career, but in my heart, I am a story weaver and storyteller. 

10. As a lawyer, often lawyers write about crimes, murder mysteries, or laws. But you write extensively on people's pro-democracy movements. 

So what inspired you to write about it? 

Binendri: Because constitutional law and human rights are my favorite subjects in law. I constantly read about these subjects and draw inspiration from them for my stories. 

11. From where can readers buy your book? 

Binendri: My book is available in bookstores in India. It is also available in Amazon Kindle worldwide 

Amazon.in  Amazon.com 

If you’re based in India, you can also order the book directly from Alcove Publishers 

IG: @binendri      X (Twitter) : @binendrip