Quest
for Kriya
By: Rahul Deokar
I was sought out by the Author Mr. Deokar, who thought
this book would be a great find for my readers. After reviewing it, I have to
agree. So allow me to share with you what I found in the story of the “Quest
for Kriya.”
Kryia is the soul-sister of Shakti, and the problem here
is that, Kryia ends up missing, and what’s even worse, is that Kyria ended up
keeping Shakti kind of the closet, and kept her very sheltered.
Therefore when
Kryia ends up missing, Shakti must learn to be her own person.
During this time frame of 1993, everyone is being haunted
by the earthquake and loss that India has underwent. People are on edge, and
cautious.
Shakti meets Shiva and the two of them are thrust into
the underbelly of the very dark Mumbai where they are on a race against time
in: The forbidden Thailand Islands, the
treacherous cliffs in the Andaman Sea, and this is where the women realize that
trouble and danger is everywhere. This is where and when Shakti and Shiva
realize that millions of lives are also at stake.
The “Quest for Kryia” is a beautiful story of romance,
friendship, and even edge of the seat mystery. It is beautifully told, and well
worth the time to read. I enjoyed every moment of it, and will proudly give it
five stars. This book is truly a great read, and you need to check it out!
Here
are my questions for Mr. Deokar:
1. What made
you write: "The Quest for Kriya" and how long did it take you?
As a seasoned executive in the Silicon Valley software industry,
I travel for my company’s business and these work trips take me all over the
world. They provide me a wonderful immersive experience as I get to partake of
different cultures, environs, and the people. Also, on these long flights and
the jet-lagged, sleepless nights in hotel rooms, I tend to read a lot of books.
On one of these international flights back
to Bay Area, perhaps it was the rarity of air or lack of oxygen, I had a flash.
A moment of inspiration! Or moment of insanity, maybe. A thought, an idea, a
story germinated. I was excited but apprehensive.
This was the most unlikely place and
beginning to Quest for Kriya. And, it took me 3 years to write and finish the
book, since I could afford to work only on weekends and evenings, because of my
full-time job.
2. Did you do
any special research for this book?
I couldn’t get the concept of Quest for
Kriya out of my head. The experiences to be told were a combination of events
from my own life and from the lives of folks I know. Take Shiva’s startup
rollercoaster ride; I obviously base it on my own startup experience and that
of my friends in the Bay Area. But to create the part about Shakti’s loss of
her brother Sanju and her family in the Latur earthquake; I had to dig into the
deep recesses of the emotional loss of my dear uncle Sanju who grew up with me
in the same house, but passed away at a very young age in a car accident in the
US.
But it’s one thing to have an idea, and an altogether different
ball-game to execute on it. I did not necessarily have all the skills and tools
of the craft of writing a novel.
So, I began to learn the art and science of fiction writing. I
must have immersed myself in at least 15 to 20 how-to books that enlightened me
on how to create an unforgettable plot, how to make your settings come alive,
and how to create flawed characters that readers can relate to. I learned about
transformation arcs, effective dialogues, much-needed conflict, and the
dichotomy of character’s thoughts, words and deeds.
Feeling confident with this new knowledge, I embarked on my
writing adventure…
3. Do you have
any photos of your characters or descriptions of them to share with us?
No, I don’t have any photos of the characters, but I have
sprinkled my own personality traits generously across the board into multiple
characters in the story. However no single character embodies all the traits -
some are in the good guys, some in the bad guys, some in the male characters
and some others in the female ones. For instance, Shiva is a workaholic like
me, Harry shares my fascination with spirituality and occult, while Shakti goes
through a brooding, despondent phase before her resurgence. Actually, every
character is a concoction of several traits – mine and other folks whom I have
observed.
As I often say, 50% is based on real
experiences (both mine and of folks I know) and the other 50% is pure fiction.
It’s just not obvious which 50% is which, and I’d like to keep it that way. J I
mentioned this recently at a panel discussion, and another panelist quoted his
standard riposte when asked how much of his book was based on real life: “all
the hot, incredible sex scenes are completely real!”
4, Who designed
this beautiful cover?
Mohana Pradhan, a gifted Bay Area artist
and a good friend of mine, has designed the beautiful cover for the book. Painting
is her passion, and her inspiration comes from music, dance, lyrics, nature,
quotes, photography, memories, and special moments of life. She has a Degree in
Fine Arts from L.S. Raheja School of Architecture and Arts, Mumbai. And, you
can find more beautiful pieces of her work at: http://www.mohanapradhan.com/
5. What is your
favorite book of all times?
It’s really hard to pick the favorite book of
all times; it’s almost like choosing who your favorite kid is. As a teenager, I
had a voracious reading appetite, and the summers would be an amazing journey
to distant places in curious, learning-shoes of the multi-faceted characters.
My reading ranged from suspense/mystery
thrillers to epic tales and philosophies from Ayn Rand, Kahlil Gibran, Fedor
Dostoevsky and Albert Camus to spirituality from the East and West. That phase
of my reading life, I know for sure, had the biggest influence on my thinking
and intellect. Later on, I was fortunate to read and relish books from some of
my new-favorite authors: Shantaram (Gregory David Roberts), Sacred Games
(Vikram Chandra), and Game of Thrones series (George R. R. Martin). Currently,
I am reading this amazing book All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. But,
if I was ever stranded on a deserted island, I would take along these three
books:
-
The Fountainhead
-
Shantaram
-
The Upanishads
6. What are you
working on now?
In fact, when I wrote Quest for Kriya, I had envisioned it as
the first of a Trilogy. But I wasn’t sure how the readers would respond to my
debut attempt, whether the book would just sink down unceremoniously without a
blip. Naturally, you see your own baby as cute, precious, and one-of-a-kind,
but expert critics and unforgiving readers don't don the same rose-tinted
glasses as you. I was apprehensive, but when they scrutinized and said
"the baby ain't all that bad”, now I feel somewhat confident to start the
second one.
I have recently begun to craft a storyline and plot for the
sequel. I am furiously making notes about the characters (the previous beloved ones
and some interesting additions), the new settings, and the central conflicts
that drive everything into motion.
7. Exactly how
many awards did this book win, and how did it win them?
Quest for Kriya has won 4 awards so far:
-
Winner 2016 Beverly Hills Book Awards (Multicultural Fiction)
-
Gold Medal 2016 eLit Book Awards (Multicultural Fiction)
-
Top 20 Semi-Finalist 2016 Kindle Book Review Awards (Literary
Fiction) (Finalists/winners will be declared in Oct/Nov 2016. Keep rooting for
it!)
-
Finalist 2015 International Book Awards (Multicultural Fiction)
It has also been endorsed by Rev.Bill McDonald - founder of
American Authors Association, the largest author organization in North America.
(facebook.com/video.php?v=10152778013505762&set=vb.735455761&type=2&theater)
I wish I knew the answer, and explain to you how Quest for Kriya
won these awards. But frankly, I can’t. I am thrilled to be recognized, but at
the same time, I am overwhelmed. It is truly an honor to receive such prestigious
awards which distinguish and celebrate excellence in book publishing. That my
book met the high standard these awards exemplify, is truly humbling. I'd like
to thank the judges for doing such a wonderful service. It's no easy task to
scrutinize and select amongst all the books - each a labor of love of the
talented author. And many a times, the difference between the Winner and other
books is so tiny that it's a tough call to make. A huge congratulations goes
out not only to all the winners but also to all the finalists and the participants.
8. What
inspires you to write?
Life’s wisdom gained through years of
stumbling, reaching within, and picking oneself up, made me realize that the
great epics and scriptures (Ramayana, Mahabharata, the Iliad and the Odyssey,
Bible, Koran, Bhagawad Gita) have embedded at their core certain esoteric but
absolute truths. Our exalted ancestors rightly understood that if these truths
are to endure the tribulations of time, they have to be relayed as stories the
common man could understand, re-tell, and pass on from generation to
generation. And lo behold. These stories have indeed outlived cataclysms and
human wars, and are still so very much a part of our world history and culture.
The challenge though is that these stories
were told with characters of long-gone eras amidst settings and scenarios far
removed from the current, modern world. I asked myself: why can’t a story be
told in today’s times with today’s characters that embody these truths;
wouldn’t the readers be able to relate and resonate better to something that is
their way of life?
9. Have you
ever met any other Authors in real life?
I was fortunate to be selected and invited
to The Second IAAC Literary Festival in New York, featuring work by authors
whose heritage lies in the Indian subcontinent (#IAACLitFest2015). I got the
opportunity to rub shoulder and be in the august company of literature and arts
illuminati (Sir Salman Rushdie, Suketu Mehta, Madhur Jaffrey, Padma Lakshmi,
Quantico producer/writer Cherien Dabis, Mira Nair, et al).
The festival commenced with an opening night
celebration of the twin cities of Bombay and New York. Booker of Booker author
Sir Salman Rushdie and Kiriyama Prize winning author Suketu Mehta engaged in a
scintillating conversation as Bombay Boys in New York. The two days at the
festival was a very rewarding experience attending the various sessions and
interacting with both the established and upcoming authors. It was indeed a
great privilege for me to be featured on the Fiction writers panel as an
emerging author. Closing night at this fabulous little gem of a festival
featured the Page to Stage session with director Mira Nair and writer Sabrina
Dhawan in conversation about taking the movie Monsoon Wedding to Broadway
10. Anything
extra to add:
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I love to spend time with my wife and kids,
go on hikes in the nature, outings at the movies or rock-climbing gyms, and
vacations to various parts of the world. At home, my wife – the top chef that
she is, churns out some delectable delicacies. She also loves to eat out and
sample all kinds of cuisines, and I am a willing partner-in-crime. My son loves
tennis and I push my old legs to exchange rallies with him to challenge his
status of “king of the court”. As for my teenage daughter, I am currently exercising
my fatherly patience to rekindle the unique bond we once shared while I wait
for her core, loving self to emerge on the other side of this phase of
rebellious angst. Meanwhile, I just adore her spunk and get exasperated in
turns.
10. Please
provide for us your social media and book links:
https://www.amazon.com/Quest-Kriya-Rahul-Deokar-ebook/dp/B00NQIKI3C/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23218582-quest-for-kriya
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23218582-quest-for-kriya
Quest for Kriya by Rahul DeokarMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was sought out by the Author Mr. Deokar, who thought this book would be a great find for my readers. After reviewing it, I have to agree. So allow me to share with you what I found in the story of the “Quest for Kriya.”
Kryia is the soul-sister of Shakti, and the problem here is that, Kryia ends up missing, and what’s even worse, is that Kyria ended up keeping Shakti kind of the closet, and kept her very sheltered.
Therefore when Kryia ends up missing, Shakti must learn to be her own person.
During this time frame of 1993, everyone is being haunted by the earthquake and loss that India has underwent. People are on edge, and cautious.
Shakti meets Shiva and the two of them are thrust into the underbelly of the very dark Mumbai where they are on a race against time in: The forbidden Thailand Islands, the treacherous cliffs in the Andaman Sea, and this is where the women realize that trouble and danger is everywhere. This is where and when Shakti and Shiva realize that millions of lives are also at stake.
The “Quest for Kryia” is a beautiful story of romance, friendship, and even edge of the seat mystery. It is beautifully told, and well worth the time to read. I enjoyed every moment of it, and will proudly give it five stars. This book is truly a great read, and you need to check it out!
View all my reviews
