Author Interview + Review + INT Giveaway- Done With Men by Shuchi Singh Kalra

Summary-

Travel journo, Kairavi Krishna (Kay) has had it with men. After a series of disasters (losers, philanderers, leeches, mama's boys and possessive psychos), she is all too tempted to walk out on the prospect of ever finding love. Accompanied by her best friend and flat-mate Baani, she sets off for Goa, hoping to get away from her miserable love life and vowing to stay clear of the male species. 

Goa however, has a host of surprises in store for her. Ricky, her pesky ex-boyfriend, is busy painting the town red with his hot new girlfriend. Now what is poor Kay to do other than overdose on vodka, smoke pot, get an outrageous tattoo and fall off the hotel balcony? She wakes up in the hospital to the tender ministrations of Dr.Vivian D'Mello--young, suave and handsome as hell. Will Kay stick to her guns or will she fall for his ridiculously sexy charms? And what's up with the mixed signals he's giving out?

Review-

Done With Men by Shuchi Singh Kalra was a really cute read. The title may sound as if the protagonist is done with men and she is or so she thinks. Fate just has other plans for her. I didn't expect much going in the book and that worked in my favor. I ended up really enjoying Done With Men.

Kairavi or Kay as her friends like to call her is a travel journalist. She has had a series of disasters where men are concerned and it always seems like she falls very easily in love only to be hurt when the relationship comes to an end. Therefore when her best friend Baani suggests they go to Goa to cover an event Kay takes off to get away.

What Kay does not expect is to bump into her ex Ricky or the events which happen thereafter. I really liked Kay. She was adorable in her own way. You could see how she was really hurt in the past and how she wanted to protect herself from heartbreak. When Kay stumbles upon the hot and sexy Dr. Vivian try as she may she can't help but be attracted to him.

I loved how Vivian and Kay's story went. It started off as a love hate relationship and progressed into a sweet one. You never know what life has in store for you and their story just proves it. It was hilarious watching Kay fall for the ridiculously handsome doctor.

I also loved Kay's best friend Baani. She was her support system and always wanted what was best for Kay. Shuchi's writing is really nice and engaging. The novella moves at a nice pace and I kept flipping the pages till I got to the end of it. Done With Men made for a sweet read.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

                                                     About the author:

Shuchi Singh Kalra is a writer, editor and blogger based in India. She has been writing since 2005, and has freelanced with popular magazines such as Femina.in, Good Housekeeping, Home Review, Parent & Child, Vista, Investors India, Dogs & Pups, Women's Era and Time 'N' Style among many others. her short stories have found a place in anthologies such as Love Across Borders and New Asian Writing's upcoming collection (to be published in 2014).

Shuchi is also the owner of Pixie Dust Writing Studio, a writing and editing firm that services a global clientele, and the Indian Freelance Writers Blog. She currently lives a nomadic life with a fauji husband and a livewire toddler. 

Done With Men is her first book.

Pay her a visit at www.shuchikalra.com or join her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/shuchisinghk...).
Twitter handle: @shuchikalra

Interview:

1.  Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I would describe myself as a dreamer, thinker, writer, book-hoarder, nature lover, social recluse, travel junkie, and a total foodie. I spend a large chunk of my day in an alternate universe, only to be cruelly jolted back to reality when earthly responsibilities beckon. Married to an army man and mom to a feisty two-year old, I live the rather nomadic version of “happily ever after”.

2. Tell us a little bit about your book, Done With Men.

Done With Men is a typical rom com which is meant to be a short, lighthearted read. ‘The story focuses on the romantic (mis)adventures of Kairavi Krishna – serial dater and ditzy girl extraordinaire.  She is a travel writer and is urban, young and…single. After an unfortunate rash of loser boyfriends, she is pretty much done with men and ready to focus on her career. But her latest assignment, to cover Sunburn in Goa, packs more surprises than she bargained for. In the middle of partying, falling off her balcony, food allergies and ex-boyfriend encounters, Kairavi develops a hopeless crush on her dreamy doctor, but she isn’t sure if he would possibly be interested in more than her broken clavicle. 

3. What made you write Done With Men?

A friend of mine was telling me about her sister who had gone on a vacation after a breakup and had landed up in the hospital injured – that sparked off the idea and I thought it could make for an interesting story. As for the title, I saw a random tweet by someone who wrote “I’m so done with men” and I realized that so many women (me included) have gone though that post-breakup phase when we say “I’m done with men” only to go falling in love all over again. It is not merely a phrase, but a feeling that most women actually experience at some point in their lives. Since it encapsulated the essence of my story so well, I decided to weave it into the narrative and use it as the title too.

     4. Are any of your characters based on people in your real life? 

Not in an obvious way, but I have certainly borrowed personality traits and quirks from people I know. Though the characters are completely fictitious they are 100% relatable. There is a good chance that you have someone like Kanjoos Kapil or Bindass Baani in your friend circle

5. How closely can you relate with Kay from Done With Men?

Not only me – I think every woman can relate to Kay at some level. She is the quintessential modern, urban, working girl. She loves to travel and is a writer, like me.  She has everything going for her – an enviable job, amazing friends and a loving family but the only sore point in her life is her choice in men. I have been in the same boat more than once so I completely get her when she says she is “done with men”. However, as a person I am not very much like Kay. I can never be as impulsive as her and not half as accident prone but I may have been confused and insecure like her a decade ago. Kay could be an exaggerated and slightly more messed up version of me in my early twenties. 

 6. Why do you think readers should pick up Done With Men?

I had a lot of fun writing this story and I think that comes through in the book. People who have read the book have absolutely loved the characters. There have also been some kickass reviews likening my writing to that of Sophie Kinsella and Helen Feilding (*celebrity eye roll*). On a whole, it’s just a fun book that you’d want to relax with on a vacation or after a hard day. Just leave your brains on the side table and don’t expect any intellectual stimulation!

Quick Questions:

1. Favorite book- Oh Gawd! This question should be made illegal! I’ll just name the one which came to my mind first – The Color Purple.

2. Favorite actor- Sunny Deol (Seriously. No Confusion. No Kidding.)

3. Favorite Romance- Wuthering Heights

4.Favorite Movie- This too – illegal. But I’m basically a Disney person and I find it hard to sit through violent movies with poor lighting.

5.Favorite Band-  There are too many and my preferences change often, but off the top of my mind, I can think of The Beatles, Nirvana,  The Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Guns N Roses. I don’t dig the newer ones all that much.

6.Favorite Song- I won’t say it is my favorite, but I can’t get that “Drama Queen” song from Hasee to Phasee out of my mind!

7.Favorite Colour- Green

8.Favorite Author- Illegal! Illegal! Illegal!

Links:

Amazon  /  Website  /  Blog  /  Facebook  /  Twitter  / Video Trailer

    

Giveaway:

Shuchi has generously offered to give away FIVE ecopies of Done With Men in the format of your choice.

The giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.

So go forth and participate! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy reading!