AUTHOR’S BIO:
An award-winning social communications and brand adviser by profession, a former Senior Adviser to BBC India and Creative Director to Mudra communications, Victor Ghoshe is an explorer and a social researcher. Ghoshe writes in the historical adventure and paranormal genres. Deeply researched, his historical adventure The Job Charnock Riddle topped the charts as an Amazon bestseller of 2016. TIMES described the book as ‘Our own Da Vinci Code version’ (Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/kolkata-gets-its-own-da-vinci-code-version-with-charnock-fiction/articleshow/51315052.cms)
Ghoshe has published three collections of paranormal stories in Bengali among which two have been bestsellers (Ethernet 2010 & Paranormal 2019). His literary works have been translated into several languages. Ghoshe lives in New Delhi with his wife Juthika and two sons, Shivank and Hrishaant.
1. Who and what inspired you to write?
I have always been intrigued and inspired by the works of Arthur Conan Doyle, Allan Poe and then I got hooked to Umberto Eco. Eco was an Italian medievalist, philosopher, cultural critic and novelist. His works like ‘The Name of The Rose, 1980; Foucault's Pendulum,1988; Numero Zero, 2015 took me to the world of ancient conspiracies.
Until I was in college (at 18 plus), I had not read any English modern fiction at all (in high school my focus was mostly on the early classics). In the early 2000s, while working in an advertising house as a creative director I visited a filmmaker, and I found an old copy of The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco lying on his desk. I read the first page… and then the next…and then the next, and then I borrowed the book. Several hours later, I finished the book and thought, "Man, that’s brilliant…. and, if I try, I can do that." The next weekend, I began writing my first fiction in Bengali - which was later (2014) published in a popular children’s magazine of ABP group, named Anandamela.
2. What challenges did you face while writing and getting published?
The biggest challenge for a research-based historical adventure writer is the ‘Research’ – the attempt to know the unknown, the struggle to chalk out what could have happened in between the lines of history.
You see, the research works for this kind of books are multi-layered. For the places I write about – I try to visit them, and if that’s not possible at all, then I glide through the Google Map routes; I study travel videos of the place by professional vloggers and talk to them personally to make sure that the descriptions are correct.
And for the more serious parts of my research, I study the topics and read research works of subject specialists from all over the world. After that, I take appointments and talk to those writers, scholars, historians, and other subject specialists. I believe, as a responsible author I must do all of these to be able to make a tough subject sound interesting and to be sure that what I've got is correct. May be my hard work is appreciated when my readers say that
I weave facts into a fiction extremely well.
Publishing was not problematic as Tomb of God was a second to a bestselling first. I had offers in hand when I started writing this book. But the struggle was - I wanted more for this book.
3. How did you come to know about the literary agency THE BOOK BAKERS?
A senior writer friend Mr Kulpreet Yadav once suggested The Book Bakers to me when I was looking for an agency for my book Tomb of God.
4. How did THE BOOK BAKERS help you and what would you like to say about them?
I talked to Mr Suhail Mathur of TBB for the first time when I just completed writing Tomb of God. And we immediately got connected so well that I understood we would go long miles as collaborators. Mr Mathur took a lot of personal interest and care for TOMB OF GOD; I believe that’s why RUPA India materialised. TBB is extremely professional as an agency, and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the team on this project.
5. How do you see literary success for yourself?
See, firstly, as an old school person I enjoy researching, developing new plots and writing…. and if my readers are enjoying what I write - to me that’s the biggest success.
Secondly, I believe that - the best stories intrigue its readers so much that they start to walk along with the characters and live the story themselves.
Now if my books can do that – I’d know I am doing good work and I’d be happy, because, I believe writing isn't about making huge money or becoming a star, it's about enriching the lives of the people who read your work and enriching your own life in the process.
6. When can we expect your next book?
I am already working on the next novel. When the Covid 19 pandemic hit India in March 2020, I had already finished all the works around TOMB OF GOD, so I started my research work for the next novel during the first lock down.
After writing about the covert agency and the secret brotherhood of the tomb, in the latest, I found myself compelled to come up with a more secretive topic. Fortunately, I have recently learned about a shattering historical possibility, more buried even than the secret of the tomb. This new secret – if revealed, can change the history of the world, which will take the centre stage in my next novel. Until then, of course, mum's the word.
7. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?
Read; observe life closely; find insights and note them down.
Then give your imagination a free leash and let writing be spontaneous. Keep your writing crisp but bring out the charm in your expression so that the reader not only enjoys the story but also savors the atmosphere you create.
Do not be shy about discussing with people, who you think can add value to your book and also talk about your work and promote it.
BOOK NAME : TOMB OF GOD
PUBLISHER : RUPA PUBLICATIONS
A MASSACRE AT AN EXCAVATION SITE IN NORTHERN IRAQ…
A SUSPICIOUS EXPLOSION IN THE THAR DESERT…
AN ANCIENT TABLET… A KEY TO UNLOCK A FOUR-THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD SECRET IN A FARAWAY LAND…!
SOME WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO PROTECT ONE OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SECRETS!
A massacre in northern Iraq leaves every member of the excavation team dead, except one woman named Marina. Scared for her life and worried for the well-being of Dr Huntley, who was leading the team, Marina reaches out to his emergency contacts—Eric, Aurin and Father Smit, setting them off on a journey to find their missing mentor and friend.
The three men and Marina run into several forces who will stop at nothing to protect the secrets that the priceless finds can reveal.
Unraveling the enigmas of a forgotten civilization buried deep underneath the sands of time, Tomb of God is a monumental work of historical research wrapped in mystery, conspiracy, human frailty, and faith.
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