Author: Shivangi Srivastav

Blurb :   

Book 1: What if Our Life Threads Bind?

What if love finds a way to you through death....?What if death falls in love with you itself....?

When Martha enters her freshman year in college, she expects more work, responsibilities and a future of an emerging author for herself. Martha has always been a fan of romance, drama and fiction filled novels and so she also fancies her first real, non-one-sided love in her college. Enters AustinAustin Templeton is the kind of guy that every film director wants to film. He is everything Martha has read about in a goofy boy-shy girl love story. As time flies, Martha finds herself falling in love with him. But Martha is the Goddess of death and destiny; one of the fates and Austin- a mortal. In this dark paranormal story based on greek mythology, follow the pair in their quest of love and deviate from what is written. 

Book 2: We Bent fate

Martha gets stolen from the underworld in the supervision of Hades and his subordinates. Hades suspects that she is taken back to the living world and, Chloe and Lila wish if they could get back Martha because the world they were to protect and supervise is being interfered with; being collapsed by something Martha created...Something that only she can control. For the second time, follow Martha Moirai and Austin Templeton, as narrated by Austin himself this time, into a world of Greek mythology, supernatural powers, myths, revenge, love, and sacrifice.

My Impression: A Lovely mix of Greek Mythology and Modern Day romance.

Interview: 

Q.  Tell us something about your duology. How did you come up with the idea to write the story of Martha? 

 A. 2017 was the year for me when I was almost recovering from a recent tragic incident of my life and it was then when I had started reading Cupid's Match by Lauren Palphreymen, here on wattpad. It is too a Greek myth-based book about cupids, and after reading about all the Greek Gods and Goddesses mentioned in the book, I was intrigued. So I started researching all the characters and Greek myths in general. There I came across the three Greek Goddesses of destiny, The Fates. These three hit a different chord inside me. 

Every now and then, I have seen myself and others doubting their fates and saying how lucky or unlucky they are. When we are low, we need someone to tell us that it will get better. So...I did just that. I wrote this duology for myself and for anyone else in this world who feels that their fate sucks. 

 I truly believe that some power out there is planning our lives, writing and rewriting our fates and the things that happen to us based on our choices. Likewise, through my duology, I wanted to make people believe and have faith in God and the decisions they make. 

 Martha was really fun to write about. She has a big heart and she truly cares about everyone else in this world. I thought that maybe writing about a Goddess who truly cares about everyone, people who are hopeless would then find some reason to not give up hope and put some faith in her and in their fate.

Q. Why Greek Myth? 

 A. It's not just about 'Greek' mythology. I love mythologies and the ancient enigmatic stories about people with power. Just like I said before, the idea of three goddesses of fate got the best of me first and this reason alone further urged (and still urges) me to research and write about Greek mythology. 

 I even fancy myself writing about some Indian mythology(being an Indian myself) someday, and maybe other mythology stories of all around the world. 

Q. Do you relate to any of your characters besides Martha? 

 A. I don't think I share the same equation with anyone else as much as I did with Martha but Lila does remind me of my elder sister. She truly inspires me and I really wish I could be more like her. Just like Lila, my sister is very protective of me. Annoying, yes and she loves to get mad about the littlest of things. She is one of those antisocial people who may come across as hard-shelled but she is a real softie from the inside. 

Q. Give us a fun fact about your story. 

 A. I ALMOST DID NOT INCLUDE AUSTIN AND ALL THE ROMANCE IN IT!! 

 Can you imagine what would this story be like without Austin and without all the romance? 

At first, when I was plotting this duology, there was no character called Austin. It was just going to be about Martha, the demigod of death and the Goddess of destiny, on her quest to quell an evil power she had created ages ago. That's it. But then the hopeless romantic inside me kept on poking my shoulder, purring for attention, telling me in gibberish to 'make them fall in love. Make them fall in love. Make them fall in love.'

Finally, after weeks and weeks of her begging me, I shushed her and poured all of my love into the duology and between the two love birds, giving the duology a different angle altogether. 

Q5. Writing an emotionally draining scene is difficult, what were your feelings while writing about Martha knowing that she kills? 

 A. Martha has a huge heart and she really hates her job when it comes to killing off people. She cries out every time she has to cut someone's life thread...and Of course, this emotional and hypersensitive trait of her comes from me, her creator and the writer. 

 There were a lot of times when my heart truly ached as I wrote. Once, I even cried as I wrote a death scene and it was so heartfelt. It felt pure and I would just keep wondering like "no wonder, Martha hates her job." 

Q. How do you do research for your books? 

 A. There is a lot of ways through which I research. For starters, I love to read Greek myth-based books from other authors. (Unfortunately, I haven't read Rick Riordan's books yet but I have tried a few books here on wattpad). 

There are youtube channels too where one can seek knowledge on Greek Myth stories through animation and sarcastic voice-over commentary going on in the background. It's a fun way to learn! 

 Then there is google. I surf and research a lot when I get a writer's block and this is one way, I overcome my writer's block because the new information then bugs my mind until I put it on a paper in a story form. 

Q. What is more important- plot or characters? 

A. I think both are equally important to keep a reader hooked to the story. If the characters are really nice but there is no plot then the readers would eventually get bored or if not bored, the story will not stick with them for long. They will forget it very easily. 

 On the contrary, if the plot is beautifully planned out but the characters are poorly written and are not relatable, then again the reader will lose interest. They(the readers) won't care about your characters even if they die a tragic death and again, the story might not stick with them. 

Besides, these two go hand in hand and are interdependent. If one of them fails, the whole book might go down into the toilet. 

Q. If there is one thing you would like to change about your story, what would it be? 

 A. I don't think there is anything that I would like to change. I am pretty happy with the idea of my book and whatever I have created although I know I have a lot to edit. 

 At first, I was actually thinking of making Austin an immortal too but I think because I am a hopeless romantic (haha), I loved the idea of them growing old together...in a literal way, even if that means only Austin would grow old and not Martha. 

 Because oh how I would do anything to see Austin in white-grey hair and Martha being his last first kiss as he lies in his death bed and listens to Martha singing.. *sobs*

As of now, I think I am satisfied with this ending and the story as a whole as well but you never know, maybe one day I might come up with another book about Martha and Austin growing old together...but right now, this is the end. 

Q. What were the challenges while writing the series? 

A. There were challenges, of course. One of the many was the fact that I was very unsure about this story and whether people would like it or not. 

 Since I don't have anyone in my family who could help me proofread my books and give me suggestions(because they don't read. At all. Can you believe?), it was more frustrating. It felt like I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing with this story. 

 This, and there was the fact that I feared to bring my native influence in these books. Since the duology is Greek myth-based and is set in the UK (and I haven't been to either of those places), I was afraid that I might write something that doesn't happen there or is considered a taboo. This is where my researching habit comes in handy.

Q. You have a great story. Why do you think it is not reaching places? 

A. First of all, thank you for considering my duology to be great. I think it's because I have known as a matter of fact a lot of people who show interest in my books but then the moment I tell them that it's online and that they would have to log in to read...they disappear!A

Also, it could be because a log of people prefer physical books instead of Wattpad, kindle, etc and trust me, I am one of them if it weren't for reading undiscovered writing pieces. 

Moreover, here on wattpad, I have seen people vote and comment furiously for the first few chapters but then suddenly one day they are gone! Poof! Also, there are ghost readers and people who vote for your books but don't read.

I do think at times that maybe their loss of interest in my books is because of my diction, the characters I create or something else but then I have been told by a lot of people that I am a good writer so I tell myself to not feel bothered.  

Q. What are your future plans with the series? 

 A. I might be writing a few spin-off books about other characters. I was thinking about writing about Chloe and Lila in their own separate books. 

 Also for a fact, I know that people (even you) love grey characters like Augury and Cassandra. So I might give them their separate books and their stories accordingly. 

Ps. If you want me to write about some other characters too then let me know. I'll start accordingly because I already miss writing.

Q13. What according to you is the highlight scene of the series?

A. There were a lot of scenes that really stayed with me. One of them was when Aphrodite and Zeus opened up about their plans to mess up with Martha. I also really loved writing about Martha when she was given the task by the judges of the underworld and how she completed it.

 That's it. I won't say much now or I'll end up spoiling something haha. 

Q14. Besides mythological romance, in what other genres would you prefer to write?

A. Before Greek mythology entered my life, I used to be a teen fiction, chick-lit Romance kind of a contemporary writer. 

I endeavor to write fantasy and even psychological thrillers someday because I love a good mystery that keeps me awake at night. I'm not sure when will I try any of the above-mentioned genres but I would definitely try. 

Q15. Describe your idea for a perfect book and hero.

A. I don't know about the perfect book because I think every book can be perfect if the writer has a good story, good characters, and good diction. But I love it when I read a book with a deeper hidden meaning behind the casual world/situation building. Especially if it has a moral message- something to be learned and to be applied in real life. 

A perfect hero/heroine should be true to its personality. It should definitely develop but development does not necessarily mean changing one's personality (except for maybe when they have a personality disorder). 

Q. Who is your favorite author and why?

A. I have a big list of my favorite authors. You are one of them. I love the way you describe things and the way you plot a story is totally beautiful! I also love Lauren Palphreyman, author of cupid's match. Her characters are so good and so hilarious. I love the way how nicely she puts her own story and contradicts it with the original version. Beautiful!

Q. What are you reading right now?

A. I am reading your book. It is the second one in your series and I'm loving it so far. I'm also reading Dragon's scion and that too is beautifully written and has me hooked.

Q. What does Wattpad mean to you?

A. It means the world to me. For someone like me who does not have access to buy 50 books a year, it's a perfect free library. I have been here since 2016 and I have seen myself grow with this app. My journey in this app started as a One Direction fanfiction reader and writer....and not long after that, I was addicted to writing and wattpad. 

One thing that I really love about wattpad is the fact that I can write there for free and people from all across the world can give me theirs based on their reading experience. It's a great community and I don't think I'll ever leave this community. If it weren't for this app, I would have never known the hidden writer inside me..the storyteller! Wattpad has changed my life entirely and for good!

Q. How do you handle criticisms?

A. Criticisms are of two types- one that is constructive and actually helpful, and the other is only aimed at you to make you feel low about yourself. 

Over the years, I've learned the difference between the two. So all I do is to work on the first one and ignore the latter one. 

Q. Will writing be your fulltime career?

A. Oh how I wish for it to be true but unfortunately, my parents want me to be a teacher. I don't know but I might persuade them to let me work under a publishing house as an editor or something like that. Not sure yet.

Q. What advice would you like to give to another aspiring writer?

A. I don't think I am perfect enough to give any advice but my experience in writing has taught me a couple of things that I would love to share. 

 Firstly, one should definitely read a lot. I have known so many people who have not read a single book because they think they might copy the story by mistake. Plagiarism isn't an issue because everything has already been done. But yes, if one is writing about an orphan who lives with their uncle and aunt, can talk to snakes, has a scar on his head and is said to be the one who lived..that is where you may want to reconsider your story. Do not skip this step! Read as much as possible. 

Secondly, a person who wants to become a good writer should research. Especially if they are working on historical fiction or some mythology that may or may not have existed before. It really helps. Even in times of writers' block. 

Lastly, write as much as you can. Writing is like doing math. If you don't practice regularly, you will probably learn to procrastinate and your diction will start to grow chaotic. So try to write something every day!

------------------------------------

That was an incredibly fun-filled interview, Shivangi. Being an amazing storyteller like yourself, you've specifically mentioned that I am one of your favorite authors, that makes me feel grateful. Thank you so much.

Please feel free to tag your friends!