Interview With Author Prashant Pinge

Today I bring another interview and a giveaway.  Author Prashant Pinge stops by to chat about his writing and his book, Sceadu, (recently spotlighted here on the blog), plus he has a great Rafflecopter giveaway for everyone. So enjoy...

Interview With Prashant Pinge

Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.

I was born and brought up in Mumbai. I have a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and three postgraduate degrees in management. I started my career at Rockwell Collins in the US but later shifted back to Mumbai to join our family business. I am also a marketing and branding professional and have my own firm, Media Panther.

You’ve recently release a new YA novel, Sceadu. Can you tell us about the book?

A century old book transports four children to Sceadu, a land inside their shadows. The reluctant visitors search for a way back but find themselves chased by the Hefigans, creatures of Sceadu. The stakes are suddenly raised when an ancient prophecy foretells the doom of the world they left behind. Now, the children must navigate the dangerous terrain, overcome grave challenges and unlock the secrets of the shadow, or suffer the destruction of their own kind.

Sceadu is a fast-paced adventure which blurs the boundary between the physical and the psychological, the real and the mythical.

Did anything about the story surprise you when writing Sceadu?

When I set out to write a fantasy, it was meant to be just that. But what pleasantly surprised me was the way I managed to intricately weave together elements of psychology and mythology to create a logical basis for a land inside the human shadow.

As a writer, what is it about the fantasy genre that appeals to you?

I have always been a huge fan of the fantasy genre. It takes me to places that don’t find a place in the breadth of our world but reside in the depths of my imagination. And the best part: I don’t require a passport.

You write in multiple genres (children’s books, young adult, fantasy, historical fiction and romantic comedy). Do you have a favourite, or do you find each has its own merits?

While I started my literary journey with children’s fiction, I enjoy all the genres I work in. I feel the best part about writing in multiple genres is that it challenges my creativity in different ways and helps me grow as a writer.

What is your greatest challenge as a writer?

My greatest challenge as a writer is that my hand cannot even come close to matching the speed at which my mind is throwing out ideas. And this can be especially frustrating when the ideas are not related to the book I am working on at that point in time.

Who has inspired you as an author?

I have been inspired by other authors such as Phil Pullman, Agatha Christie, and Somerset Maugham.

What do you enjoy when you're not writing? Any hobbies or other talents?

Apart from writing, I enjoy collecting old coins, reading fiction, travelling to exotic destinations, watching movies, and listening to music. I am keenly interested in psychology, mythology, and ancient history. I have also recently written and produced a short film titled Freedom of Expression.

What’s next for you?

I am currently working on a romantic comedy. I am also doing research for a work of historical fiction.

More on the author and his books

Author bio:

Prashant Pinge is a published author of short stories and books in the genres of children’s fiction and young adult fantasy fiction. He also writes historical fiction and romantic comedies. His book, Raja & the Giant Donut, was shortlisted for the Economist Crossword Book Awards in the Children’s Writing category in 2011.

Prashant lives in Mumbai, India, with his wife, Avantika, and son, Arjun.

Author web links:

Book website – http://sceadu.net

Author website - http://prashantpinge.com

Author Facebook page - http://facebook.com/PrashantPingeAuthor

Sceadu Facebook page - http://facebook.com/SceaduTheBook

Twitter page - http://twitter.com/prashantpinge

LinkedIn page - http://in.linkedin.com/in/prashantpinge

Google+ page - http://plus.google.com/+PrashantPinge

Goodreads page - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8393378.Prashant_Pinge

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight: Sceadu

A book spotlight today, with the YA fantasy novel Sceadu by Prashant Pinge.

Sceadu by Prashant Pinge

All this while, Matilda’s shadow had been growing larger and larger. Suddenly, it lunged out of the ground and swallowed her, like a python does its unsuspecting prey.

Nine year old Matilda ends up with a century old book through a series of strange coincidences. And disappears. Her brother and cousins are forced to suspend their hostilities and pursue her to Sceadu, a land inside the human shadow. Once there, the reluctant visitors find themselves chased by the vicious Hefigans, creatures of Sceadu. However, everything changes with the revelation of an ancient prophecy that foretells the doom of the world they left behind.

With the stakes suddenly raised, the children must now navigate the dangerous terrain, overcome grave challenges, and unlock the secrets of the shadow. But can they do it in time to thwart the plans of the treacherous Hefigans? Or will they succumb to the guile of a ruthless enemy who is equally determined to destroy mankind?

Sceadu is a fast-paced adventure which blurs the boundary between the physical and the psychological, the real and the mythical.

You can find Sceadu on Amazon

Also, from Dec 1st to 21st, the author will be running a Rafflecopter giveaway for Sceadu. The giveaway includes 10 Amazon Gift Cards ($10 each) and 15 e-copies of Sceadu (available in EPUB, MOBI and PDF formats).

Excerpt from Sceadu

The moon had once again found refuge behind the clouds.

“Er ye tere?” croaked a voice out of the velvety darkness.

The man scraped his elbow hard against the rough edge. But the searing pain never reached his lips.

“It’s me…ol’ Marcus.” A pale shadow followed.

“Do you have it?” The words burned in the man’s throat.

The old man stumbled, and a messily wrapped packet fell out of his stubby fingers. The man dived, grabbing at it with both hands. The packet landed with a gentle thud, followed by the dull clank of his cane. “Old fool,” he hissed. “You’ve been drinking. I should send you without a dime.”

“Jest took me a few swigs,” the old man mumbled, swaying like a reed. “To give ol’ Marcus the guts to break in.”

“Quiet,” the man snarled, thrusting his fingers into his trouser pocket. “Take these and be off.” He pushed the bills into the old man’s rough hands.

“Ye promised fifty bucks,” Marcus protested, trying hard to count.

But the man hadn’t heard a word. He simply stood still, staring at the packet that promised to change the course of his destiny.

There was a tap on his shoulder. “But ye promised…”

The man swung around, his cane raised. But his grip tightened and his hand stopped. “It’s more than a hundred,” he said, clamping down his jaw. “Now get out of here.”

Old Marcus walked away, staggering slowly in his drunken stupor.

The man drew in a long breath and kept his cane aside. For a brief instant, his mind wandered off to that gloomy winter evening many years ago, to the discovery he had made in a far away corner of the country. But this wasn’t the time for reminiscing.

The man gently loosened the strings and brought out the contents, an old book. He had the means now. From here on, his path would be one that few humans had trodden through the ages. The brown wrapping slowly drifted to the ground.

The man suddenly jerked his head. But it was only old Marcus, still sauntering towards the street. The man’s shoulders relaxed; he was in control, at least for the time being. There would be challenges ahead, grave ones. The boy had probably complicated things. But he could deal with all that later.

Author bio:

Prashant Pinge was born and brought up in the picturesque neighbourhood of Shivaji Park in the bustling city of Mumbai in India.

A quiet and diligent student throughout his schooling and college years, Prashant proceeded to pursue electrical engineering at Purdue University in the United States. Over the next decade, he accumulated three more degrees, a master of science in management from Lancaster University, a post graduate program in management from Indian School of Business, and a post MBA master in international management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Apart from enjoying the company of books, Prashant had always had an imaginative bent of mind. But writing only happened in the fall of 2003, when a remarkably intriguing dream interrupted an uncharacteristically deep spell of slumber, compelling him to stagger to his desk and pen down the idea. That book is still a few years away from being written. Prashant, however, continues to work from his cauldron of creativity and churn out critically acclaimed works of fiction.

In addition to his literary pursuits, Prashant is Managing Partner in his marketing and branding firm, Media Panther. In his spare time, Prashant enjoys collecting old coins, reading fiction, travelling to exotic destinations, watching movies, and listening to music. He recently wrote and produced a short film titled Freedom of Expression. Prashant is also keenly interested in the subjects of psychology, mythology and ancient history.

Prashant lives with his wife and son in Mumbai.

Author web links:

Book website – http://sceadu.net

Author website - http://prashantpinge.com

Author Facebook page - http://facebook.com/PrashantPingeAuthor

Sceadu Facebook page - http://facebook.com/SceaduTheBook

Twitter page - http://twitter.com/prashantpinge

LinkedIn page - http://in.linkedin.com/in/prashantpinge

Google+ page - http://plus.google.com/+PrashantPinge

Goodreads page - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8393378.Prashant_Pinge