The Writer's View: Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mohanalakshmi will be awarding a free ecopy of An Unlikely Goddess to one randomly drawn commenter at every stop, and a Grand Prize of a $50 Amazon GC will be awarded to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Same Story: Different View


I’m a working mother of two children under 4 years old. While the Virgo side of me loves to have a plan for everything, the day can go in any one of several hundred directions depending on students, children, or my husband.

The one constant is that I’m always writing. Whether academic or fiction, you’ll find me at my keyboard with sick children or eating lunch of homemade soup.

Sick child at work

Lunch at my desk

Breaktime

My office - Sunlit Space

You could call me a multi-tasker but I prefer to think of myself as a maximizer: I get the most of out of any moment.

People love to ask “how” I get it all done. There are two principles I use to guide any week, whether on vacation or at work.

1) Never procrastinate. Yes, you read that right. Who else do your dreams have to depend on if not you? Watch less T.V. Remember, every time you think, but it’s so hard, remind yourself of what you want to accomplish. Trust me, I have a whole season of Downton Abbey unwatched, but I managed to put out a paperback and a boxed set before the holidays.

2) Mix it up. I love variety. While my week is packed to the hilt with me writing well into the night, I don’t do the same thing everyday. Some days are for the kids – no work in sight. Other days are for work – the kids are with their dad.

About the Author:

Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar is a South Asian American who has lived in Qatar since 2005. Moving to the Arabian Desert was fortuitous in many ways since this is where she met her husband, had a baby, and made the transition from writing as a hobby to a full time passion. She has since published seven e-books including a mom-ior for first time mothers, Mommy But Still Me, a guide for aspiring writers, So You Want to Sell a Million Copies, a short story collection, Coloured and Other Stories, and a novel about women’s friendships, Saving Peace.

Her recent books have focused on various aspects of life in Qatar. From Dunes to Dior, named as a Best Indie book in 2013, is a collection of essays related to her experiences as a female South Asian American living in the Arabian Gulf. Love Comes Later was the winner of the Best Indie Book Award for Romance in 2013 and is a literary romance set in Qatar and London. The Dohmestics is an inside look into compound life, the day to day dynamics between housemaids and their employers.

After she joined the e-book revolution, Mohana dreams in plotlines. Learn more about her work on her website at www.mohanalakshmi.com or follow her latest on Twitter: @moha_doha. Also connect with her at Facebook, Pinterest, or YouTube.

Sita is the firstborn but since she is a female, her birth makes life difficult for her mother who is expected to produce a son. From the start, Sita finds herself in a culture hostile to her, but her irrepressible personality won’t be subdued. Born in India, she immigrants as a toddler to the U.S. with her parents after the birth of her much anticipated younger brother. Her father’s academic ambitions take the family all over the United States, as he chases grant funding at universities in several states. His financial challenges make life at home stressful for Sita, her mother, and younger brother – but the women of the family bear the brunt of his frustrations – both physically and emotionally. Hers is a South Indian family, from Tamil Nadu, one of the most conservative states in the subcontinent.