Kindly introduce yourself.
I am Sonia Sahijwani Saini, a legal advisor by profession and a writer by passion. I am the author of three books, Yours Legally, my debut book published in 2019, Baby on Board and the recently released Aapki Sia LLB which is a hindi translation of my debut creation. I am working for a Maharatna PSU in its legal department, however it is writing which is my first love.
Why did you pursue law as a career?: I was always fond of legal subjects specially while I was pursuing my undergraduation. However, I always wanted to get into journalism and pursued one year PG in Eng Print Journalism as well subsequent to which I made the unusual shift towards Law. I am the first generation lawyer in my family and it was perhaps my nature of always questioning things around me and my keen interest in legal subjects which made me inclined to pursue it as a career. I am extremely happy with my decision since it is infact law which helped me pen down my first book and established me as an author.
What’s your favourite genre and who is your inspiration?
I love to read various genres of books from crime to thrillers, self help to biographies. I draw inspiration from various writers specially Jeffrey Archer, Lt Khushwant Singh, Jhumpa Lahiri and Khalid Hosseini. Among the young authors, I am heavily inspired by the way Mr Awais Khan writes and narrates his stories.
How’s your experience being a mother as you have discussed your journey in the book “Baby On Board” ?
Motherhood is a wonderful experience, challenging , sometimes exhausting but a beautiful journey. I owe everything to my son since my journey towards motherhood led to my becoming an author as well. All my books were published post birth of my son and he has been extremely lucky for me.
What are the challenges you faced while writing your books?
To be able to make the reader engaged throughout your book, to make him/her read the complete book, to relate to the characters, stories and to make sure that the book leaves a bit of impact upon the reader I feel are the biggest challenges now while writing any book. As I always say, there are many authors and books but there are very few readers even today. While getting into the frame of mind of writing amidst juggling with various roles of mother, professional etc also is challenging, marketing your book post its release is also something which requires immense strategy these days.
Did your family support you in writing your books?
My family and loved ones have been immensely supportive of me in every decision I take in every stage of my life. My father is always the first reader and critic of my writings and my husband is always supportive of me in every new initiative I take. He is my biggest strength. I am also blessed to have Dhruv and Nitin in my life who always encourage me to push my limits and are always with me no matter what. It is because of all of them that I am always motivated to achieve more and more.
How did you manage writing with your job and family?
When one is determined enough, then I feel everything works out and falls into place. Women are inherent multi taskers and since I am extremely passionate about writing, for me its not a task or a job but something which relaxes me,and is a form of meditation for me. It does get daunting at times but I feel with proper time management, one can balance everything.
What interests you the most as an author?
As an author, to know what takeaways my reader took from my book or my stories is most exciting. Each reviewe and opinion is different and interests me. To be able to reach out to and impact and inspire people of all age griups, interests, lives is what I find interesting about being an author.
When are you releasing the new title?- Right now I am busy promoting my books and most probably by early 2022, I should be out with a new title.
What makes you smile the most?
My son Suhaan.
Do you genuinely read the reviews?
Does negative reviews and comments affects you?: I read all reviews and while a negative feedback used to upset me in the initial months since my debut book was released but subsequently, I realised that its difficult for everyone to like your work and one should draw motivation from the readers who relate to the content. I now take feedback very positively and try to work upon the suggestions given to me.
When did you start writing and why?
Since childhood I have been writing and it was my dream to become an author. Reading and writing is something I was very fond of even to this day as it expands our horizons, makes us thing, imagine, makes us better students and professionals as well. Writing as I said is a form of therapy to me and the power of the pen is extremely powerful and impactful.
What are the advices you would like to give to the aspiring writers?
Read, read , read. Write and write more. Do not stop and dont ever give up. Have your unique way of writing and do it from the heart.
Is self- publishing better or guided publishing?
Both have their pros and cons, it depends on the kind of book, genre and whether we are budding authors or established. For a budding author I feel guided/assisted publishing is better since its difficult to do everything on your own.
What’s your favourite genre and which book is your favourite book?
The Eleventh Commandment by Jeffrey Archer remains top in my list. Crime and thrillers are my cup of tea.
