Interview with Shivangi Ramsay

Today, we have an immensely talented author featured. Shivangi Ramsay holds a Master’s Degree in English Literature from Panjab University, Chandigarh. Her debut work 'Passionate Love' released recently and has since then received positive reviews. We got in touch with the author who talks about her tryst with the pen and love affairs with characters.

Ques: Congratulations for your debut work, Shivangi. How does it feel to hold your baby ‘Passionate Love’ in your hand?

Shivangi: I feel absolutely ecstatic. I am yet to wipe the darn grin off my face (laughs).

Ques: What made you choose this title?

Shivangi: Passion is an integral part of a man-woman relationship. Hence, the title.

Ques: Tell us a little about yourself and your background? What were you like at school and college? Was writing your ambition since the beginning?

Shivangi: I come from a renowned family of academicians. My mother is an associate professor in History in an all-girl’s college. My dad was a Nehru Cambridge Scholarship awardee. He served awhile in Magdalene College, UK.  I am an incorrigible bookworm and a die-hard pasta lover. Chocolates are my weakness. I was extremely reserved as a student. You will be shocked to know that I was practically friendless in high school. In college, I spend long hours in the library pouring over my favorite novels and books. Smart, intelligent, and unbelievably sincere I was the uncrowned star pupil. And yes, I always wanted to become a writer. 

Ques: Tell us something about your book?

Shivangi: My book-Passionate Love is a contemporary romance. It is the love story of a life style journalist and a computer engineer turned entrepreneur.

Ques: What inspired you to jot down and how long did you take to complete it? Does the story taken any inspiration from your real life?

Shivangi: I am an ardent fan of romance novels. Call it destiny, I had the good fortune of interacting with my favorite British romance novelist during one of my trips to Great Britain. Her effusive admiration of my articles motivated me to write this story.

Ques: How tough was it to find a publisher for yourself? How has your experience been with your present publisher?

Shivangi: I changed my publisher due to irreconcilable differences with the editorial team, and delay in printing of the book. My present publisher is God-sent. I am eternally grateful to Gaurav Sharma for being so supportive.

Ques: How close is Ambika to Shivangi?

Shivangi: We are poles apart, physically as well as emotionally. While Ambika is short and tiny, at 5’7” I am fairly tall by Indian standards (giggles). Both the hero and the heroine are a figment of my imagination. But truth to be told, I am more like Ayaan Ramsay.

Ques: Do you plan to write apart from romance genre?

Shivangi: I plan to write a young adult fiction in the future.

Ques: How has the response of your novel been?

Shivangi: That’s for my readers to tell.  

Ques: Are you working on your second novel? If yes, please give a sneak peek into it.

Shivangi: I am yet to begin work on my second novel. It is an out of the box concept that’s gonna raise hackles in the literary circles.

Ques: What are your favourite books? What kind of work do you like to read?

Shivangi: I am a romance junkie. Here’s a list of my all time favorite books- A Passionate Affair and Savage Innocence by Anne Mather, His Untamed Innocent, and The Seduction Game by Sara Craven, Out of the Night by Penny Jordan, Everything and the Moon by Julia Quinn. Apart from that, I absolutely adore Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie. I also enjoy reading  Joseph Conrad, William Golding, Milan Kundera, Amitav Ghosh, Kiran Desai, and Jean Rhys.

Ques: What is your schedule like when it comes to writing a novel/article/post?

Shivangi: I am a pretty spontaneous writer. Due to my hectic teaching schedule, I can’t follow a particular schedule.

Ques: Among Indian writers, who do you think has exceptional writing skills?

Shivangi: R.K. Narayan, and Ruskin Bond.

Ques: If you were given a chance, would you like to change something in ‘Passionate Love’?

Shivangi: Not a word. Please don’t hate me for saying so (laughs).

Ques: Lastly, is there a message that you’d like to give your readers?

Shivangi: Love yourself. 

Get a copy of the book here.