Interview with Shobana Gomes

Author of The Goddess of the Himavan

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Why did you title the book "The Goddess of the Himavan?"

• The Goddess of the Himavan watches over land, mountains, and seas.
  In this fabled story, Harinder is the son of the mountains having lived there his whole life. The spirits of the mountain help him escape from the rubble caused by an avalanche while his family perishes in its aftermath.
  When Harinder is given a monumental task by the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Hintrupate to prosper a barren land, he has a strange dream about a flautist and the nightingale. The Goddess of the Himavan blesses the land through the flautist on Harinder's first night of stay there. I thought mysticism and intrigue follow a title like The Goddess of the Himavan and titled the book as such.
  It is a story for all, a fable with ancient literature and classical wisdom endowed.

How did you come up with the story of the flautist and the nightingale?

• The land that the Maharaja promises Harinder is a barren land. I needed to create a character with a magical illusion like a pied-piper. The nightingale was a witness to his extraordinary acts of awakening a slumberous land. He blesses the land to prosper, hence why Harinder triumphs in the challenge to gain ownership of the land.
  The flautist and the nightingale were an illusion that came to me while writing the story.
  The flautist and the nightingale created the magic in the story.

How has the story impacted readers so far?

• I think The Goddess of the Himavan did remarkably well in ratings. I have received good reviews about the way the story is written. It was Amazon's No.1 best-selling new release under Ancient and Classical Literature, and one of my top-selling books. You have to read it to know in-depth about the literary level of the written word. It was a challenge to write the book and it paid off with my readers loving the way it turned out.

Can you tell us which location you write of in this story?

• I write of the Hindu Kingdom in the land of an ancient heritage. A story that unfolds in the era of kings and commoners. There are many ancient lands that give credence to the Hindu religion. I have not stated a specific land nor have I made specific reference to the religion in detail. It is a setting that I used to tell a story due to the characteristics of the Maharajas and Kingdoms of an age-old era.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

• Write anything that comes to mind. Write with fervor and enthusiasm and most of all love for the craft. You will be surprised how your stories unfold in time. Never, ever be discouraged.

What's your writing process?

• I wake up in the morning and write down my thoughts and that gives me leverage about what I need to write about during the day. I have an Ebook blog, Shobana's Book Station, https://shobanabookstation.blogspot.com and I am busy writing everyday stories to add to my list of books.

Which character in The Goddess of the Himavan has had the greatest impact on readers?

• Harinder will come off the winner when impacting my readers. He is humble, intelligent, and wise.

Where next? What are you working on now?

• I am all excited about the next novel that I am working on. I can't reveal the details yet. I can't stop writing:) So, you will have to let me have your thoughts once it is published.

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