Prem Rao in Goodreads

I am enjoying the process of re-discovering Goodreads!  If you have read my thrillers, “It Can’t Be You” (2010) and “Lucky For Some, 13” (2012), you might like to try the quizzes that I have created. Here is the quiz for ” It Can’t Be You” and here is the one for ” The Characters From Lucky For Some, 13. Continue reading “Prem Rao in Goodreads”

Re-discovering Goodreads

Since the last couple of days I have been busy: re-discovering Goodreads! Here’s how it works. 

When my debut novel, “It Can’t Be You” was published in November 2010, I had visited Goodreads. I later signed up too, but honestly didn’t explore it adequately. In retrospect, I should have. my advice to new authors in particular would be to make the best of the many features Goodreads provides you as a published author, and that too for free.

I am no expert and I am still finding my feet here. I discovered to start with that “It Can’t Be You” was attributed to “.Prem Rao”. The additional “.” that preceded my name ( God knows how it got there) prevented me from adding this book to my author list. I re-created a spot for the book. I may have lost the ratings for the book but it means more to me to have all my books in one place under my name, which is “Prem Rao.”

Having always been a voracious reader especially of books relating to the military, spy stuff as well as mystery and thrillers, I was delighted to spot some of my all-time favourite books. I have marked them as “read” but I must confess I first read many of them not recently but decades ago. I was flooded with memories as I saw the familiar titles by those familiar names. they influenced my writing, no doubt about that. Some of my favourite authors over time: John Masters, Ian Fleming, Alistair MacLean, Harold Robbins, Paul Brickhill….the list goes on and on.

Just a month ago, my second thriller, “Lucky For Some, 13” was published. As an author, I am very interested to get feedback on how my books have been received. So if you have liked my books, do rate them and leave a comment on Goodreads, as I have started doing for many of the books I have read. It could be of use to someone somewhere!

 

Ordering My Books

I am not really sure which of the bookstores have my books in stock. Many have them, some don’t. It’s very difficult to keep track. However, it is far easier for an author to provide links to on-line portals where the time to deliver is clearly stated. So, here goes as I try to put together all the links I came across, which you can use to order my books. Terms and conditions as also the prices do vary, but this may be useful to readers:- Continue reading “Ordering My Books”

Editing “Let The Dead Stay Dead”

A writing project I am currently engaged in is the editing of my third thriller, “Let The Dead Stay Dead.” I found it quite fascinating to return to this manuscript which had been put on the back burner in October 2012. You may recall that I had written the first 50,000 words for “Let The Dead Stay Dead” during NaNoWriMo of 2011. Continue reading “Editing “Let The Dead Stay Dead””

Now reading…

Do you read one book at a time or do you, like me, read several simultaneously? I finished Juggi Bhasin’s  “The Terrorist” last week. It was an excellent read. Since I love thrillers and write them myself, I found it gripping. It was full of gory detail and was gruesome but it held the reader right through, which is what a good book ought to do. Congratulations, Juggi. It was a wonderful to read “The Terrorist.”

Continue reading “Now reading…”

Reader’s comment on “Lucky For Some, 13”

It’s comments like these from readers that make your day as an author. Here is what Subhash Nayak wrote on the FB Page for “Prem Rao, Storyteller.”:-
Thoroughly enjoyed “Lucky For Some, 13″ from start to finish! The vivid descriptions of each of the characters; the buildup of how certain events and people in one’s life could convert an ordinary person into a terrorist; the plot set up in Bangalore with the familiar streets and landmarks; the brutality with which the hostage situation plays out; and the nail biting operation to flush out the terrorists – all make for a very interesting thriller that quite literally is unputdownable! The epilogue is the icing on the cake as the author subtly observes that some things could, but would, never change. Look forward to the next novel :-)”

“Lucky For Some, 13” can be ordered from Amegabooks, HomeShop 18 or Flipkart amongst many on-line portals.

 

Makings of a Story

What goes on in an author’s mind when he/she writes a story? How does the plot come to be? What are the threads that run through the author’s mind as the story takes shape? My second thriller, “Lucky For Some, 13” has hit the stands since its launch on December 1, 2012, and I take this opportunity to re-live some of those moments which form the makings of a story:- Continue reading “Makings of a Story”