The thing that most attracts me to historical fiction is taking the factual record as far as it is known, using that as scaffolding; and then letting imagination build the structure that fills in those things we can never find out for sure.
Geraldine Brooks.
Indeed, when it comes to historical fiction it is rightly said that there is literal truth and then there is an emotional truth which the fiction writer tries to create.
Good historical fiction always comprises of these elements and makes up for an informative as well as an entertaining read.
Today, we are spotlighting a very talented author who has chosen to use a perfectly balanced and aesthetic synergy of this emotional as well as literal truth to create a fine piece of writing. ‘Like the Radiant Sun’, which is a modern-day mystery with historical elements, takes you back in time. It takes place today.
Anu Kay, who is its writer, is a powerhouse of unlimited talents by herself. Born in Bangalore, India she has several skills and accolades to her credit. Along with having a masters in Computer Applications, she has also studied Creative Writing, Journalism Writing, Visual culture as well as marketing. Having stayed in several places across the Middle East and Europe, she currently lives in Germany.
Anu has always nurtured a passion for storytelling. She loves not only to write about her life but also the moments she cherishes and loves. She writes to discover the mysterious nature of the world and also to understand her own existence. She enjoys writing about History, which is her ardent as well as a cathartic attempt at answering one of the primal qualms we all harbour towards our identity namely “who am I, where have I come from and where am I going?.”
Like the radiant sun, her debut work is a story inspired by the Vedas and Indian epics. She reveals that while writing this book, she realized that we are here only because of our past. It is in our DNA. Our belief system, our tradition comes from our ancestors. They are actually the ones who have written the Vedas for us.
Highlighting the ancient Indian Martial art- Marma Kala, this modern-day mystery takes you from Varanasi to Venice imbibing magical realism.
It is available on Amazon worldwide and in Crossword bookstores across India.
Travelling, moving to unfamiliar places, understanding various cultures, learning new languages has always been fascinating for Anu. It took her more than 10 years to complete this book. Whilst staying across the world, she realized she had limited knowledge and an inkling of the history, geography and spirituality of the country she was born in. That led her to start reading upon it.
Having drawn inspiration for this work from the History of Bharat, she took up the daunting challenge of creating this piece of writing, based on facts. She has put in an immense amount of research and hard work for the same. Recalling it she states how much she thoroughly enjoyed the whole learning experience. She was fascinated to be holding an ancient manuscript in her hand.
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She has even visited the Oriental Research Institute at Mysore, founded in 1891 by the then Maharaja of Mysore, to understand not only the architectural heritage but also learn and understand something as complex as how palm leaf manuscripts were produced as well as preserved.
Ask her about her favourite historical fiction and she quips, ‘The last of the Mohicans’ by James Fenimore Cooper, ‘Perfume’ by Patrick Susskind, ‘The name of the rose’ by Umberto Eco. Closer home, she likes Mahabharata by Vyasa and Shakuntala by Kalidasa.
Ask her about her me time and she instantly responds, “Yoga, meditation and hiking in woods of course!.”She sincerely believes that the single most powerful tool in writing is the power of imagination and discipline and dedication, along with consistency is the key to successful writing. She also swears by the importance of free time allocation which is therapeutic since you should also ‘Do Nothing’ at some point in time to rejuvenate and hone your skills.
She sincerely states that this book is an easy read and there are no topics that would bog you down. Promising to take us on a journey of India, where there has been a continuation of cultures and belief systems from ancient times, she aspires that her storytelling would be a true success if the readers are truly entertained with her piece of writing.
Looking forward to this smashing piece of work by her. You can visit her website www.anu-kay.com for more info on her stories and book. You can also avail of the free ebook download campaign on Amazon from 15th Dec to 19th Dec 2021, where you can download and read it on Kindle for free.
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