The story of my story in The Blogchatter Book of Thrillers

 

First things first, I am really thrilled that my murder mystery(if I can call it one) is published in ‘The Blogchatter Book of Thrillers’ released by Readomania alongside many eminent authors and I honestly feel I got lucky.

My story in the book ‘Secrets of Nandini Rutuja’ is a tale of a reclusive and aggressive teenager who loves lizards. She has lost both her parents and has for long confined herself to a room with zero human contact. She only communicates with lizards and surely hides some dark secrets. Read this thriller and delve into Nandini’s world to fathom the dark truth of humanity.

 The book is garnering good reviews from the readers and I still feel so nervous contemplating every day if my story was good enough, if I would have penned a different plot, or maybe I am not cut out for this genre. The imposter syndrome is real guys and it hits hard.

As some of my reader friends rightfully pointed out, this is the genre they had least expected from me because I am a soft motivator and nonfiction writer mostly aiming at women empowerment and self-improvement. I have become complacent with them and though my straight from heart,  pieces still inspire me, I wanted to walk out of my comfort zone. Thus when Blogchatter announced the entries being open for their forthcoming Thriller Anthology somewhere in March 2023, I let the idea sink in for a few days before I decided to submit my entry.

I went back and forth with my decision before convincing myself that I was taking up this challenge to surprise myself and my readers if my story got accepted by the publishers. Otherwise, it shall be a great learning experience and a worthy trial.

Once I decided I had to think of a plot and my protagonists. This is the only place where my earlier experience helped and also kind of became a hindrance. In the earlier 7 books that I had penned, inspiration mostly occurred to me from 2 a.m. to 4a.m. in a trance-like state that I had developed with perseverance which happened here as well. I have never doubted myself before but what I wanted to attempt here was different. So the fact that I didn’t feel the same confidence pulled me back again and again and that is what was different this time though honestly the love for the written word was still the same.

Finally I started imagining a reclusive,  aggressive, and disturbed teenager and let her character evolve in my brain. I named her Nandini Rutuja and Nandini would advent in my dreams often. How she would love to have a pet Iguana was all shaped up in my brain. One fine morning, after doubting myself for the umpteenth time, I sat down and penned the story in straight fifteen minutes and never changed a word.

I made my family read it and like my audience, they too could not accept I would write something like this. I didn’t think twice and submitted it at the spur of the moment knowing that it was an immature act and that who writes such a story.

In some months I was informed that it was selected as one of the top 15 picks to be published in the Blogchatter Anthology and I wondered what was in it that would stay with the readers. I also feel it was only a naive first attempt and I can really try my hands at much deeper darker murder mysteries and thrillers now. Thankfully you all been generous enough to shower your kind words on this one too and I am only humbled.

This was the story of my story in The Blogchatter Book of Thrillers and now when I look back it was so much fun penning it though honestly I still have butterflies in my stomach every time someone says they are on it now. 

On another note, I have read this book and the stories are so worth a read. I have enjoyed them every bit and they have stayed with me.

I am grateful to Blogchatter for having published them. They are indeed sassy and saucy soaked in different shades of life. I wish them many more literary outings like these in the future. You can order a copy of The Blogchatter Book of Thrillers here.