Meet the Author

Born and brought up in the quaint and picturesque town of Nainital, she has had a splendid and blissful childhood playing under the shade of Deodar and Pine trees and frolicking around the lake. That part of her childhood always finds a place in her stories.

Varunika holds a degree in Agriculture and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management. She bid adieu to corporate life early in her career and chose the field of education. She has worked closely with several educational institutions both as a management faculty and as a communication and life skills trainer. It is Motherhood, however, which taught her the most. While she chases her kids like a phantom mother throughout the week, she enjoys her weekend in the company of a good book, her camaraderie with a pen, and the smell of freshly baked cakes in her oven. Varunika lives in the city of Mumbai with her two gregarious girls and her husband, happily juggling all the roles of a mother, wife, and writer. She will be thrilled to hear from you at: https://thelotusflowerdiary.com/ and varunikapal@gmail.com

The Book

We asked Varunika a few questions and here’s what she says:

What’s your book about?

Women & their world: Tales of love, loss, and survival is a promising collection of seven short stories that attempt to showcase varied answers to the question: What is it like to be a woman in this world? Even though no two stories are same, the book brilliantly weaves together the multiple stages of a woman’s life and the diverse roles she plays in it through a common thread. Sometimes just the girl next door. Sometimes an unmarried career woman. Sometimes a devoted wife. Sometimes an overworked mother. Sometimes a doting grandmother. Sometimes just a woman wanting to explore the world on her own. And sometimes a woman trying to unchain herself from the clutches of a tumultuous past, exploring the meaning of freedom in a supposedly free world. These stories stem from the lives of the Indian middle class, delightfully capturing the essence of being a woman. Inside, you will find ordinary women attempting extraordinary decisions despite the odds. The stakes are high; you may find a few battling with all their might. Witness their journey. See them win. See them loose. Because not every woman has a happy story to tell. Some struggle all their life and yet, never find peace till the last breath. Some stories are destined to haunt. You may think you know them. But do you really? Sometimes, what is apparent may not be the truth and what is true may not be apparent.

What inspired this book?

The women who raised me, the ones I am raising, the woman in me, and women everywhere… They all inspired me to write this book.

What’s your message for aspiring authors?

Two things. First, be in sync with yourself. Clarity of thought is imperative to the process of writing and publishing your work. It can get challenging and only a person with a focused and clear mind can face challenges head-on. Second, it’s a creative journey. Don’t place money as your end reward. That is your sure-shot mantra to failure.

Here’s wishing Varunika all the very best in her literary journey!

Here’s what you can do to support a writer: Buy and read their book. Drop a review, be it a one liner on the shop link of their book. Share their work with others if you like it. Follow their social accounts/blogs. An artist craves for appreciation to stay motivated.

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Tags: Features, Reading Nook