Quick Fire Interview with Sharath Komarraju

After having two novels rejected by publishers, author Sharath Komarraju struck a deal with his debut novel, Murder in Amaravati, which is now in stores. Murder in Amaravati – an unpardonable thriller brings to life welldelineated characters, those that one can find in every village. Over all these characters lurks the ghost of Padmavati, the beautiful young woman whose body is found in the sanctum of the Kali Temple. This book is a classic thriller where every character has an alibi, and everyone is a suspect till proved innocent. Sharath Komarraju, who is only 26 years old, spent most of his childhood and early youth in Warangal, Andhra Pradesh. When he was sixteen, he moved to New Zealand and returned to India after 3 years. He started writing seriously when he was twenty-two. Until then he had strictly been a reader.

Why should one read your book this weekend? 
People who have read my book so far have had largely positive things to say about it. They have said that the writing is easy to read without being juvenile; they have said the characters come out well; and they have said the plot is well-woven.
So good writing, good characters and good plot are the reasons – with the caveat that it is entirely possible that you might not share those opinions; in which case do feel free to write to me and vent your feelings. I empathise with the horrors of reading a bad book, even if it is mine.

What prompted you to start writing this book?
I was fresh out of university and looking for a hobby. Writing was the only thing I could start straight away because almost every other hobby required either costly equipment or people sharing your interests. I had a laptop with MS Word on it. I thought I had enough to start writing. So I did.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I already have many mentors. Isaac Asimov, Agatha Christie, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King – all of these writers have been mentoring me for years (albeit without their knowledge). All the writers I admire are by default my mentors.

What are your future projects?
I have three more books under contract with Westland Books. Two of them are murder mysteries and one is a horror and should come out, at different times, over the next year and a half. Writing-wise, I am in the middle of a novel.

What is your advice to aspiring writers?
Be disciplined. Respect you craft and fellow craftsmen. Strive to improve.

Read the entire interview on www.youthincmag.com

Rs. 250 

-Babita Balan

Volume 2 Issue 3