Third book in Baby Ganesh Detective Agency series "The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star" is planned to published 18th July 2017. Let talk with Vaseem to know more about Vaseem and the book.
Can you brief our readers about yourself?
I have a BSc degree in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics. My first major job was as a management consultant. This job took me to India at the age of 23, where I worked for ten years consulting to the hotel industry. My next job has lasted eleven years so far. I manage crime and security research projects at one of the world’s top universities, UCL in London.
Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? Which author inspire you the most?
I read 60-80 books a year. I love literary fiction, crime fiction, and science fiction. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, who wrote the Discworld fantasy series and first inspired me to write when I was a teenager, and American crime writer Michael Connolly who writes the Harry Bosch series set in Los Angeles.
When did you start writing?
Age 10, when I would write short stories in long-hand and show to my English teacher. I have no idea if he was impressed, but he did always encourage me!
When did you decide to become a writer?
At age 17 when I wrote my first novel. I was convinced it would be a bestseller – instead I received my first rejection letter! I wrote six novels over the following 23 years, all of which were rejected, before I got a four-book deal from one of the world’s biggest publishers, Hodder, for my Baby Ganesh Detective Agency series.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
To connect with my readers. After waiting 23 years to be published this means more than anything else to me. My series seems to have struck a chord with readers and I hope to continue to write books, featuring Inspector Chopra and little Ganesha, that fill my readers with delight.
How is your day structured to accommodate your writing?
I am an insomniac, so I write early in the morning, 5am, for two hours before I go to work. Sometimes I write on the cricket pitch. I’m an opening batsman, and if I get out early, I have plenty of time to sit on the sidelines and write!
Tell us more about the book you have written so far.
I have written three books in the Baby Ganesh Detective Agency series so far. The first book, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra was a Times bestseller, an Amazon Best Debut, and a Waterstones paperback of the year (Waterstones are the largest bookstore chain in the UK).
What genre are your books?
Crime novels which include humour. Sometimes called ‘Cosy crime’.
Can you describe your current book in few lines? What’s it about?
My new book, the third in my series, is called The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star. In this book Inspector Chopra is hired to find a kidnapped Indian film star. The star in question goes missing while performing on stage in front of thousands of people so Chopra’s first task is to work out just how the crime was committed. With Ganesha in tow he then sets about trying to recover the star, and quickly discovers that lifting the lid on Bollywood and peering behind the scenes reveals a lot more than he bargained for.
Give us an insight into your main character(s)
Inspector Ashwin Chopra is in his late forties. He was forced to retire from the Mumbai police service after thirty years, but is still determined to pursue justice, and thus he sets up his own detective agency. He cares deeply about the social problems in his country, and hates the fact that sometimes, in India, if you have wealth and influence you can get away with crimes. He is an honest and serious man, but with a generous heart.
Where did you get idea for this book?
The idea for this series came when I first went to India in 1997. I was in a taxi going from the airport to my hotel, staring at the main road and the river of passing traffic with honking rickshaws and hooting trucks, cows and goats and dogs - and that’s when I saw, lumbering through this chaos, the surreal sight of an enormous grey elephant. At that moment I fell in love with these wonderful creatures and when I got back to the UK ten years later and decided to put those memories of India into a novel I knew elephants would have to be involved.
How much research did you do for this book?
Living in Mumbai for ten years was the best research! In Mumbai you cannot escape Bollywood. It permeates the air; it obsesses everyone.
Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
The film director, B.P. Agarwal (also known as Blood Pressure Agarwal), who is obsessed with creating films that show India’s social realities … but ends up directing a big budget Bollywood production.
Who is your least favorite character and why?
Mr Pyarelal, a sinister character, who seems to roam around the set of the movie that Chopra is investigating.
What was the most difficult thing about writing your latest book?
This book was a joy to write, because I adore movies. Researching the history of Bollywood cinema was a great experience.
Release date.
UK launch date of The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star: May 4th 2017
Can you tell us about response you got for your first two book in series?
The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra was a bestseller in the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UVN14OW
What are you working on at the minute?
The fourth book in my series, which is about the murder of an American billionaire at India’s most famous hotel, in Mumbai. Chopra and Ganesha are hired to find the killer before an international scandal develops.
What are your thoughts on writing a book series?
I love returning to these characters. India is such a vast place that there are an infinite number of stories to tell. My series allows me to explore ‘Incredible India’ in depth.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Write until you are sick of it. Then write some more. Getting better at writing takes practice, like anything else. I wrote six novels before being published. With each one I improved my skills. There are no shortcuts! Here is an article I wrote about how to get published: https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/writers/advice/989/a-writers-toolkit/developing-an-idea/
Links for your book readers
- Website: http://vaseemkhan.com
- Blog: https://vaseemkhan.com/blog/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VaseemKhanOfficial/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/VaseemKhanUK
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaseemkhanuk/
- Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/vaseemkhanUK/
- Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vaseem-Khan/e/B00XLOQQ8W
- Book Links: The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra - Book 1, The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown - Book 2, The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star - Book 3
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13340713.Vaseem_Khan
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