BEING AND BECOMING received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Phalgun Prativadi.
BEING AND BECOMING, published June 2016
What’s the book’s first line?
“As Arya Krish sat facing the new incoming class of physicians at the Institute, his eyes were looking past them. His mind was somewhere else.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
The main character is Dr. Arya Krish, an accomplished researcher, physician, philanthropist, father, and husband explores the outer edges of “the ends justify the means.” Having cultivated Beacon Medical Institute into a premier research group and medical center, he dedicates his life and resources to humanitarian projects at home and abroad. As a result, Dr. Krish finds himself entangled not only in an internal conflict of choice and action, but also the murky realm of corporate espionage, corrupt bureaucracy, philanthropy, and medical breakthrough. All the while, his family’s past haunts him and ultimately drives his being and becoming.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
The themes of the novel are largely derived from personal experiences, including my visits to India, and as a physician working in the hospital. The human interactions and observations have over time accumulated impressions and observations and led to the compulsion to express them in the form of storytelling.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Simply put, I would like the reader to find it entertaining and thought provoking, and perhaps see some value and relate to the insight that I attempt to share. The reader gives the honor of letting the author into their head, and there is what I consider to be a special connection that can be made as a result.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
The main character is a man of action, and yet thoughtful and introspective. I think he is also flawed in some ways, and hopefully relatable as a result.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
The main character is a young, dashing, and charismatic Indian-American, so that would be a challenge in casting!
When did you first decide to become an author?
Writing has always been a hobby going back to high school, and over the past several years during my medical training, the ambition to write an original novel has been mounting.
Is this the first you’ve written?
Yes.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I am an infectious diseases physician near Pittsburgh, PA.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
I think breaking away from the pack and distinguishing myself as an author and the book from the vast self published content that’s out there is a big challenge. A self published book simply does not get the attention that it may well deserve from big name book retailers and media outlets that traditional publishers seem to have easy access to.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
I would seriously consider it yes, because I think a traditional publisher has the advantage of giving validation and increasing the scope for marketing, retail, and reader access. However, I also consider maintaining control and the rights to the content as an indie very important as well.
Is there something in particular that motivates you?
I admit, as most authors I would think, I want this and future books to be a best-sellers, and dream of the movie based on it.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Oscar Wilde, and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee.