Love Comes Later #Interview and #Giveaway with Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar!

Arranged marriages are the stuff historical romance novels are made of! But what if that were to happen today, to a man and woman who have no desire for it and want to pursue their own separate lives? Let’s ask our guest author today and see what she has to say. Welcome Mohanalakshmi (Mohana) Rajakumar!

Lexi: Thank you for coming by the blog today, Mohana! You have lived quite an interesting life, one that has filled your head with stories like Abdullah and Hind’s. How much of yourself and your personal experiences end up in your novels? 

All my stories begin with a central question. In Love Comes Later, I was asking myself how will a modern person with traditional values find love? I do have some connection to all my stories - culture is a major character and usually they are set in a place I have lived or have visited. 

Lexi: You have a variety of books released. From cooking and being a mother to being a minority in suburban America and a love story in Qatar. It seems like you have strong messages to share and have done so with your writing. What is your favorite thing to talk about with readers?

If readers tell me that my book meant something to them - either helped them get through a difficult moment or figure something out or felt sympathy for the characters - all of this makes all those long hours at the desk worth it.

Lexi: As a reader I love when a book teaches me about a place and makes me think about people whose lives are very different than mine. Variety makes life beautiful. What is the most rewarding comment you have ever received from a reader?

I write about Qatar, a place I'm not from, but have spent a decade living in. When Qatari readers tell me that they think I got their culture right, that the book captures their angst, I love that.

Lexi: Love Comes Later is your contemporary romance available now. What is up next from you? What are you hiding up your sleeve?

I'm working on a crime novel! As a genre, crime or thrillers, have always fascinated me. I'm trying my hand at telling a suspenseful story. Harder than it looks!

Lexi: With your backlist I have no doubt you will continue to test new waters but I hope you return with another romance! Thank you for stopping by the blog to share with us about Love Comes Later! 

Thank you for having me! And - stay tuned for the sequel. I have two more books in this series planned.

GIVEAWAY

Mohaha is offering up a digital copy of Loves Comes Later to one lucky reader. To enter please leave a comment for Mohana; do arranged marriage love stories draw you, does the backdrop of Qatar sound like fun? Thanks for reading and good luck!

Love Comes Later

by Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar

Published November 24th 2013

Kindle Edition, Second Edition, 262 pages
PURCHASE AT AMAZON

Shortlisted for the New Talent Award by the Festival of Romance, this contemporary tale about the conflict between love and honor, duty and passion, will keep you turning pages until the very end.
Hind is granted a temporary reprieve from her impending marriage to Abdulla, her cousin. Little does anyone suspect that the presence of Sangita, her Indian roommate, may shake a carefully constructed future. Torn between loyalties to Hind and a growing attraction to Abdulla, Sangita must choose between friendship and a burgeoning love. 
A modern quest for the right to pursue love and happiness, even when it comes in an unconventional package, LOVE COMES LATER explores similarities between the South Asian and Arab cultures while exposing how cultural expectations affect both men and women. Identities are tested and boundaries questioned against the shifting backdrops of Doha, Qatar and London, England.