Q: What was the main inspiration behind If I Say Yes?
A: The idea for this story just popped into my head one day, out of the blue, in H2 2016. Soon after the third book in my Soulmates Saga came out. Of course, it’s not a completely original idea, as Shell says in the Prologue, but I can’t say for sure why it felt like such a good idea to write this story with my own angle on it.
Ideas come into my head in two main ways. I think of them as raindrops falling on a leaf. Some drops of rain hit the leaf and splatter all over it. It takes time and effort for the water to wend its way back into the original raindrop. Other raindrops fall on the leaf but maintain their original shape, whole and sparkly, wobbling comfortably on the leaf. The idea for this Duology was like that—it came to me complete and in that moment, I knew it from start to finish. I didn’t have to do much; I knew all the story beats and twists and character arcs as though it was a book I’d written already. All I had to decide were the specifics. Exactly how old the MCs were. Where in the UK the story would be set. How many siblings the MCs had. What job they did. The little details.
Like with most of my books, I saw the ending scene in my head almost soon after I got the idea and the writing process was a way to arrive at that destination. I’m not saying the final scene/segment I ended up writing is exactly how I first saw it, but it’s pretty close. Everything that I write in my books is deliberate. Nothing is an accident or left in there by mistake once I’m done editing it (apart from the odd typo, which we somehow didn’t spot *face palm*). The timing of each revelation or twist (major or minor), each little detail, every thing is there because I think it should be there to provide the reading experience I want to give readers. I’m not saying it’s achieved for every person that picks up the book, but I have a plan and I do what I can and what I feel is right to execute it.
When I got the idea for this duet, I was in the middle of planning/writing two other projects, both of which were in the paranormal romance/urban fantasy genre, and I didn’t think I’d be writing If I Say Yes until I was done with those. But I just couldn’t stop thinking about it and I felt like writing this book more than the existing projects. It’s one of those things that happens to authors when they have multiple story ideas but feel like writing one book more than the others.
Seb’s character however, was inspired by a real life person. A person I’ve never met, mind you, just heard about from a relative of mine. Unlike Seb who’s in his 20s, this person is a teenager actually, around 19 when I heard about him, and is best friends with my cousin’s teenage son, and he’s like the third son in my cousin’s family, having grown up and learned about Bengali culture and tradition from an early age through his friendship with my cousin’s son.
Seen as Seb was going to be Imran’s ‘white best friend’, I didn’t want to go down the predictable route where it’s a culture clash for him when he gets involved in Imran’s wedding to Shell. It would be typical to have Seb question the traditions of Bengali weddings and culture, and find everything new and amusing, not get it and so on. And these guys are supposed to be best friends from childhood, so wouldn’t Seb learn about Bengali culture from his friend? I’m really glad I had that random conversation with my cousin’s wife about her son’s white best friend who feels more a part of his friend’s family than his own. I guess that conversation in 2015 (on my third wedding anniversary) planted the seed for this book?
Q: What did you enjoy most about writing If I Say Yes?
A: Since August 2010, I’ve been spending time with the same group of characters: Mukti, Jamie and co. from my other contemporary romance series, the Soulmates Saga; and Ellie, Christian and co. from the Poison Blood Series. So, it was a pleasure creating and developing a new set of characters to fall in love with. Like making new friends, it was exciting yet nerve-wracking. There was some uncertainty, too: How will things turn out? Did I make the right choices? Will everyone else like them, too?
Q: Do you have a favourite scene in If I Say Yes?
A: I think the scene with Seb in the restaurant where he goes all psycho is my favourite. It was a real turning point for the characters involved and the true colours started showing.
Q: How does the Love & Alternatives series compare to the Soulmates Saga?
A: The Love & Alternatives series isn’t as dark or heavy as the Soulmates Saga, even though it does tackle a few serious issues. It also has a sweeter vibe to it, and the main characters are less troubled and tormented than those in the Soulmates Saga.
If I Say Yes is written from three characters’ POVs and in the first person, with two of those characters having more page time than the third character. It’s the first time I’ve tried this—the Poison Blood Series is written in the first person, but it’s mainly from Ellie’s POV, with a little from Christian thrown in here and there (though Vampire Absolution is entirely from his POV). The Soulmates Saga on the other hand, is written in third person and though it’s mainly the lead protagonists that dominate page time, we do hear from many other characters.
If I Say Yes is more fast-paced than the novels in the Soulmates Saga, but that’s not to say that the books in the Saga are slow-burners, either. The two series are written in different styles, that’s all.
Q: How does Shell compare to Mukti from the Soulmates Saga?
A: Both Shell and Mukti are young British Bangladeshi Muslims that were born and bred in London, but their personalities are very different. They’ve had different upbringings, too, their family dynamics worlds apart:
Shell has a close, loving family and has a great relationship with her parents and siblings, whereas Mukti has always felt like an outsider amongst her kin and that has solidified further when you first meet her in Book 1 of the Soulmates Saga, due to her past and secrets.
Mukti’s past has turned her into someone that doesn’t fully integrate with the world around her—she just does enough to get by. However, she achieves as much as, if not more than, what most young women that haven’t been through what she has do in academia and the work place.
Shell doesn’t have a past or any secrets—it’s in If I Say Yes where her past begins, so to speak. It’s a truly coming of age story for Shell.
They’re both hard-working, professional women, though Mukti is more creative and artistic than Shell.
Q: How do Seb and Imran compare to Jamie from the Soulmates Saga?
A: When you first meet these characters, I’d say Seb and Imran are more instantly likeable than Jamie, Imran more than Seb. The male characters in If I Say Yes are more open and honest with the reader, and have a great friendship with each other, whereas Jamie is an introverted recluse.
Jamie goes through more change and character development in the first book in the Saga though, and you do fall in love with him by the end of the book.
The two best friends in If I Say Yes are so different from each other in terms of personality—Seb is loud, brash, and bit of a commitment-phobe; Imran is the deep thinker, quiet, reserved, but he embraces the idea of settling down with Shell, the perfect woman for him—and they couldn’t be more different from Jamie.
However, Jamie is like Imran when it comes to settling down; he’s ready for the happy ever after with the woman that he loves. She just needs to get to that phase, too.
Q: Do you have a writing routine? Has it changed over the years?
A: Things have changed a lot since I started writing the first book in the Soulmates Saga in August 2010, my debut published novel. At that time, I was single and working full-time. I wrote during the evenings and weekends and wrote at least 3,000 words each evening, and a whole lot more during the weekends. Now, I’m married, a mum of 1, and out of work due to illness. I suffer from severe, chronic lower-back pain, which worsens considerably if I sit or stand for more than 15-20 minutes.
I wrote over 90% of If I Say Yes while lying in bed, on my stomach. It was hard on the arms and elbows—though, that pain dissipated quickly—but at least my back pain didn’t worsen. My discs didn’t damage further.
Prior to April 2017, I did all my writing—novels and blog posts—in that fashion. Then I found out I was pregnant, and it’s not ideal to be lying on your bump anymore, is it? But I really wanted to write the conclusion to the Love & Alternatives duology—If I Say No—as well as those PNR/UF projects I mentioned earlier, and so I had no choice but to write whilst sitting down. Yes, the pregnancy added to the back pain, worsened it big time, and because I couldn’t take my regular medication for the pain, things were pretty difficult.
It’s only my love—and need—for writing that coerced me to spend a few hours each week sitting and writing. If I didn’t love it so much, I wouldn’t do it. The accompanying pain just wouldn’t be worth it.
And so, I tried to write as much as I could, when I could, though my aim was to write at least a chapter whenever I sat with my laptop, around 1,500 words on average (taking lots of breaks and doing lots of stretches every few minutes). I didn't change my writing methods though, and so, the next time I sat down to write, I went over what I wrote during the previous session, to catch up with what’s happening and get back in the zone, and editing that section as I went. I think most authors do this.
Once the first rough draft of a novel is done, I go back to the beginning and do a quick revision, adding any scenes or descriptions where needed, seeing how the story flows. If I end up adding lots of new material throughout the novel, I will go back and do another quick light round of revision to see how things flow now.
Then I take a break from the manuscript. At least a month.
Afterwards, the real editing begins, and I revise the manuscript to death, until I hate everything I’ve written and think it’s utter rubbish LOL.
Next, another break. For a month, if I can afford it, or at least 2 weeks.
A few more rounds of serious editing follows and I only stop when I start loathing the book once more and don’t want to lay my eyes on it ever again.
I have become a better editor now though, so the process is more efficient—I did a lot of editing for books, research papers, and blogs in my job in the financial services sector, so I can be very patient with the process.
Q: What happens in If I Say No?
A: LOL I can’t tell you that! All I will say is that a reader of Book 1 hit the nail on the head when she said it would be “heart-stopping.” Just try to keep an open mind and try to appreciate the sequel for the story that it’s trying to tell.
That's it for the interview. Thanks for reading it! I hope you enjoy the concluding part of this Duology, releasing January 29, 2021.
Have you checked out the Soulmates Saga yet? Keep reading for the Blurb of the first book in the series.
Would you recognise true love if you saw it?
Singer and songwriter Jamie York is suffering from writer’s block. When he meets the unexpectedly inspirational Mukti, Jamie’s creativity knows no bounds and he feels torn. He has to keep seeing her, but what will she make of his tortured soul?
Little does he know that Mukti has her own secrets and is just as troubled as he is. Her name translates as ‘freedom’ in her native tongue Bengali, but she is anything but free.
Recent graduate Mukti Khan has just started a new job in the City and is determined to work hard and keep people at bay. All that changes after a chance encounter with the mysterious Jamie. He fascinates her like no one ever has and she just has to get to know him better. But is she truly capable of letting him in?
As an unlikely friendship develops between the two, will Jamie and Mukti be able to help each other come to terms with their pasts, or do some ghosts haunt us forever?
Set in contemporary London, this is a unique love story between two unique characters that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.
Praise for the novel:
‘A truly fantastic read. The two main characters are cleverly crafted, impeccable. Their depth makes them feel real as they become a woven part of the reader. It is a feel-good read which I highly recommend to all who love contemporary romance. Loved it.’
—I.C. Camilleri, Author of the Blake Series
‘This is not your typical chick-lit book. There is no sloppy romance and no mushy words. This is truly a one of a kind book. Little by little, the story was told to me and it was told perfectly. I cannot believe this is Neha’s first book. It is perfect. Definitely a must-read.’
—A Novel Review
‘I loved the book. I can’t believe that this is the author’s first book; the way it’s written is excellent. I was captured from the beginning of the story. A must-read!’
—RosieReview
Download this book from your favourite retailers, including:
Now, why did I spend the last hour writing out this Q&A to
insert at the end of my book? As promised earlier, the benefits of author
interviews in your e-books are below:
Benefit #1
Everyone loves getting a little extra for their money, so
bonus content of any kind will please those readers that get to the end of your
e-book. Like me, you can mention this in the sales description of your book. I
include something like this: ‘A 110,000-word novel with added bonus content.’
If you like, you can even mention what kinds of bonus material you’re
including.
Benefit #2
Q&As are a great way of engaging with your readers after they’ve finished your novel, and a
way to make fans out of them. It
gives the reader a chance to get to know you better, as you can add little snippets
about your interests while you discuss the influences behind your book, or you
can have a bunch of questions that are specifically about you. Readers, and
humans in general, are always looking to connect—so why not give your readers a way to connect with you?
Benefit #3
Author interviews are an ideal way for you to explain why you
included anything scandalous or controversial in your book, or why a character
made a decision that might not go down well with readers. Therefore, helping
fans understand your book or characters better.
So, instead of having something like ‘A Note from the Author’,
which is quite boring, you can spin it into a question in the Q&A, the type
of question readers might ask you about the controversy. For example: ‘Why did
Jane do so and so instead of this and that after prom night?’
Then you can delve into the reasons behind your characters’
controversial/unpopular decisions.
Benefit #4
In the interview, you can talk about your other books/series
by comparing the current book to your others works, thus bringing the reader’s
attention to other novels of yours that might interest them. I know you have a
section titled ‘More Books by This Author’ or something like that, but they’re
just a list of titles. In the Q&A, you can tell the reader why they should
try your other series because they’re just as good as the current book, or
they’re darker/sweeter, funnier/deeper, and so on.
Benefit #5
By including a question at the end of the interview about the
projects you have lined up for the future, you can whet readers’ appetites with
juicy exclusives about sequels or future projects. If you have a mailing list,
you can give them the chance to sign up it to stay up-to-date with those future
releases.
Benefit #6
If you have a blog and struggle to come up with ideas on what
to write every week, you can take out the spoilers from your Q&A and post it on your
blog. That’s one week’s post sorted.
Benefit #7
Talking about your books in a Q&A, even if it’s just you
answering some basic questions, can help you organise your thoughts on it. Get
you thinking about how to go about marketing it. Writing the blurb for it.
I
suggest that you write the Q&A before you publish the book, maybe during
the editing process—it’s amazing how talking to yourself about your book or
characters can give you ideas on how to improve your manuscript. Questioning
certain aspects and then answering those questions can also highlight any plot
holes and help you fill them.
Benefit # 8
It’s fun! Coming up with interview questions for yourself and
your book, pretending to be interviewed on the radio or TV, or on a bestselling
author’s blog, can get you really excited about your book, especially if
editing depresses you like it does many.
That’s it for now. Happy reading xXx
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