After working for 10 years as a civil engineer, Preethi Venugopala has now transitioned to the role of a full-time writer. “The writing bug bit me when I took a sabbatical from work after the birth of my son,” she says. She is also an artist who experiments with colours, pencil and charcoal. She has contributed historical romances and fantasy short stories to anthologies. Says she, “Story tellers are healers and literature is a mirror of life.” A story came alive in her when she heard of the Mangalore plane crash on May 22, 2010. The plane took the route she often frequented and the tragedy shook her to the core and brought home both mortality, loss and questions about human existence.
The result was the book, Without You. The novel is the story of an engineering student Ananya who becomes a victim of depression after a failed vacation romance. Ananya, the protagonist, is portrayed as a very sensitive and emotional person who values friendship. She is impulsive, passionate and ambitious. Preethi states that she relates to the protagonist as she has similar personality traits.
In this contemporary fantasy romance, the author explores various themes like heartbreak, depression, loss, the journey of love and true love transcending all boundaries and barriers.
Excerpts from an interview:
What does writing mean to you?
Writing is therapeutic to me and I love it.I like experimenting with various genres. I have also co-authored a science fiction novella as part of a blogging competition on Blogadda. I am also in the process of writing a historical romance based in England.
Who are your favourite authors?
Dan Brown, Nicholas Sparks, Julia Quinn, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, Nora Roberts, Gabriel Garcia Marquez among foreign authors. Ashwin Sanghi, Ruskin Bond, Amitav Ghosh, Arundhati Roy, Kamala Surayya, Thakazhi, MT Vasudevan Nair, Jaishree Misra etc among Indian writers.
What does the book convey?
Love is magical and so is friendship. I am sure you still remember your first love and maybe after reading my book, you will start looking for miracles. I hope my book touches the right chord in your heart.
