Every time I meet a fellow Indian indie author, a unicorn is born. So you can imagine my excitement when I first saw Sookh Kaur’s books on Instagram. Outside of the fact that her covers are gorgeous (and she designs them herself) and the titles are really fun, I was thrilled that another Indian indie was writing about Indian women and some of them were even plus size. I’ll be honest, I haven’t read Sookh’s books yet, but they’re on my TBR for the new year and I can’t wait to dive into her backlist.
As a fellow fan of The Lord of the Rings, Sookh was also daydreaming about Aragorn and making up stories in her head. And when she’s not writing or creating beautiful covers, she’s getting lost in fanfiction.
She released her first hockey romance in October (with the next one releasing next year and is currently up for preorder!) and I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us! All her books are available in Kindle Unlimited too.
BEING AN AUTHOR
Who or what inspired you to write?
Books! For the longest time, I've always had my nose stuck in a book. I was an early The Lord of the Rings kid, glued to reading about Aragorn whenever I could get away with it. Then I found myself making up stories in my head, my imagination fueled with all the things that didn't happen in the book that I wanted to happen. So you could say, my inspiration comes from daydreaming.
What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author?
The best part about being an indie author is the creative control you have to write your own stories. And the fact that there isn't a barrier for you to get your work into the hands of readers. Especially since historically the gatekeepers of publishing don't provide equal opportunities for women of color writing diverse stories.
The hardest part is the sheer amount of skills you have to learn to be successful. You have to be your own expert, making marketing and business decisions about everything. It can be very overwhelming sometimes!
Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?
When you have a successful self-publishing career, you get to stay in control of your earnings. There's something about having agency when it comes to my own author business that really appeals to me.
Also, the timeline. Going the traditional route can take quite a while longer. With self-publishing you can be more prolific and really learn, adapt, and improve your craft through the process of writing and publishing itself.
When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?
This is going to sound lame and maybe typical, but I love to read. Fanfiction (cough, cough - Dramione) has many brilliant and inspiring works I devour. There is a part of my brain that rejuvenates when I'm reading about familiar worlds and characters.
Other than that, I love to live my own life as fully as I can. That means traveling, fun dinners with family and friends, and exploring the city! Also, dating. Nothing like bad and good dates to make your brain stir with loads of feelings.
What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?
Write. Join the discord Indie Author's Ascending. Know that you aren't writing to please everyone. That even the most celebrated books have negative reviews. Don't get lost in weeds trying to be perfect, because then you'll never move out of the weeds. Done is always better than perfect.
ROMANCE AS A GENRE
Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?
Speaking specifically about M/F romance since that is my own genre, there are very few spaces online and in-person where a woman's happy ending is not only celebrated, but expected. I truly believe reading is a powerful tool of social change. When I was younger, reading about women in my favorite romances being cherished, empowered and sexually satisfied, altered the way I walked through the world. The voices of the patriarchy telling me to obey or to be a certain way are easier to ignore and fight because romance has given me that conviction that we deserve and should have a happy ending in our lives.
Not only that, but romance is so creative. You would think having a happy-ever-after structure would limit the craft of writing amazing stories, but the opposite is true. There are so many directions you can take your story!
If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?
I adore a good fantasy read.
YOUR BOOKS
What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?
There are parts of me in every story, but a lot of the time that is just the starting point. The characters evolve from there as they try to navigate the plotlines of their world. Many times I try to explore a certain theme like for example, in my latest release I really wanted the main character to explore imposter syndrome and the journey of believing in yourself when you work in a creative field.
Can you briefly tell me about your books?
My books are rom-coms! So you can expect to laugh and kick your feet at the silliness. I also try to layer them with genuine supporting characters with a strong family (found or otherwise) and friends cast. Tenderness and small cosy moments are important to me. And then—when you kind of least expect it, a sizzling wallop of steam.
How much of yourself do you put into these characters?
The start of a character always features a part of myself I want to explore, but by the end of me writing the book, they've transformed into having a life of their own. Are my books a form of self-therapy?? Maybe. Yes. Maybe.
There are pockets of me in every story, but no one character I've written describes the whole of me. Not that we, as complicated human creatures, can truly be pinned down.
What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?
Well... there is this vampire falling in love with his human feeder story that lives rent-free in my head. After they are stranded somewhere. And he's lost all his memories.
There's also a romance in my head where he always comes around to her apartment to fix things... like water damage... and she complains about how horrible the men are that she's going on dates with... while he's secretly jealous hearing about it all... until one day the tension boils over.
Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?
No matter how steamy, funny, and easy-to-read, I set out to make my stories—there's also always tenderness. A moment for the heroine where she can stand up and tell anyone who has ever doubted her that she's choosing herself. That she deserves freedom, happiness, and to live life on her own terms.
What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?
Yes! Facing Off is the story of a gothic ballerina black cat and a hockey captain playboy facing off. It’s a standalone hockey romance that is a part of a series. You don’t need to read any of the books in order, but Breaking Away is the first book in the series that I released in October.
When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?
Entertained and happy. Empowered. And, if I've done my job properly, there should be some swooning.
AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks
Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense
Single or Dual POV
Standalones, series or standalones in a series
Open door, ajar door or closed door romances
Music or silence when writing
Plotter, pantser or plantser
Water, tea, coffee or….wine?
Cold or warm weather
Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?
Illustrated or photo cover?
Make sure you’re following Sookh on Instagram to stay updated on all her book news!
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