Blog Tour: Laxmi Hariharan's debut, The Destiny of Shaitan!

Today, I am hosting Laxmi Hariharan, 
in celebration of her new release, 
The Destiny of Shaitan.

Check out the guest post below and be sure to 
enter the giveaway at the end of this post 
for a chance to win either a $15 Amazon Gift Card 
or an autographed paperback of 
The Destiny of Shaitan.

Young Adult Forever by Laxmi Hariharan

My sister-in-law turned to me, “when Naman married you, I thought you might lick him into shape. Little did I realise he was marrying someone just like himself.” She was, of course, referring to the ‘happy to spend life in pursuing my dreams’ traveller who never wanted to settle down in one place ­ me.

Coming from a conservative, South-Indian family in suburban Bombay, my biggest fear as a teen was to be ‘trapped’ in an arranged marriage. I always knew I would wait until I found the one; a partner who would accept me for what I am ­ a free spirit, an easy rider kind of person.

So, when my then-to-be-husband woke up one morning and didn’t blink at my, “Uh, how about we just spend the day walking around Singapore, doing nothing... just being?” suggestion, I knew that was him.

It took me a few more years to realise that I was firmly in what the world now calls the Young Adult space. I not only write YA, I am YA. In fact, I have my own quiz to help you figure out if you are also YA.

1.   Do you have more in common with your girlfriend’s fourteen year old (especially your love for Hunger Games, Twilight, et al)?

2.   In workplace meetings, at ‘grown up’ parties or in the pub, are you the only one who knows Formspring (or, for that matter, twitter)?

3.   Are you health conscious (in fact, probably vegetarian) and love to overdose on vitamins in the hope of staying perpetually young?

If you ticked even two of the above, chances are that, like me, you are YA forever.

So, this is how I realised that I write in the YA fantasy space. Then, the biggest surprise was discovering how inspired I was by Indian mythology.

Me, the one who left my home country of India due to wanderlust, running away from the constraints that the Indian society of the 80s placed on its women; the uber Go West kinda gal now churning out fiction inspired by the East ­Indian gods and goddesses, and their adventures? 

I paused, and dug into my memories, going back in time to when I was a little girl of perhaps five in Bombay. Remembering my grandma - Periamma, I called her (literally translating from Tamil as 'Big Mother') - wrapped in her ultra-traditional, nine yards of silk-cotton saree, narrating stories from ancient Indian epics. I had absorbed them wide-eyed, becoming one with them in my dreams, believing I could overcome demons in the real world, and that nothing could stop me. It was these stories, which portrayed powerful goddesses who were stronger than the mightiest gods, who were my role models.

In embracing my roots, I had found my voice.

Through The Destiny of Shaitan and my future books, I hope to share these delightful stories from the rich tradition of Indian mythology, presenting them in a cool, futuristic and simple to understand setting, so that people of all ages, everywhere, can enjoy them.

The Destiny of Shaitan and my next novel, The Seven Islands, will particularly resonate with young adults and the YA at heart, for we dare to dream. We are the imagination engine who sees the future.

If my readers feel just a little of those wonderful emotions that Grandma shared with me, then I will be ecstatic.

 Story summary

Partially set in a dystopian Bombay of the future, The Destiny of Shaitan is a coming-of-age story, painted against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world.

Yudi, Tiina and Rai embark on a mission to save the universe. Sent to retrieve the Isthmus from the ruthless Shaitan, Tiina seeks more than the end of the tyrant; she seeks herself. 

Shaitan is determined to stop them at any cost. The three friends must learn to trust one another and overcome their fears as they fight towards the ultimate showdown. 

The universe is at stake and the combatants are determined. Will Shaitan’s ultimate destiny be fulfilled?

Author bio

I am a writer, technophile and, dare I say it, a futurist, with a penchant for chai and growing eye-catching flowers. 

Wanderlust drove me out of my home country of India and I travelled across Asia, living in Singapore and Hong Kong before coming home to London. 

I am inspired by Indian mythology; I draw strength from the stories my grandmother narrated to me as a child. It is by acknowledging my roots that I found my voice. 

When not writing, I love walking in the woods with my soul mate and indulging my inner geek.

I would love to connect with you on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or my website.

Reviews

“The Destiny of Shaitan is mind-blowing, dark, humorous and clever. It took me on a powerful journey inwards, which was a surprise as I'm not generally drawn to Sci-fi or fantasy.”

- Sonia Ducie, Dip.CSN.AIN, mumerologist and author of 11 numerology books.

“The low-key humour that runs like an undercurrent through this delightful, gripping adventure had me chuckling from page one.”

- Pippa Merivale, author of Rescued by Angels.

“A truly refreshing approach because it is inspired by Indian mythology, direct references to which are few in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. That aside, Shaitan is a ripping yarn and a gripping read and a must-have for every fan of the genre. Besides, it’s bound to win more fans from across genres too. The character of Rai, in particular, is the most fascinating, but that's not to take away from the other players in the narrative, especially Yudi and Tiina and, of course, the titular evil Shaitan himself, who makes Darth Vader look like a kindergarten wimp.”

- Amazon Review by Moviescriptwriter.

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