Award-winning author Sajni Patel was born in vibrant India and raised in the heart of Texas. She draws on personal experiences, cultural expectations, and Southern flair to create worlds centered around strong Indian women. Once in MMA, she’s now all about puppies, rainbows, and tortured love stories. She divides her time between Hawai’i (where honu is her #1 obsession) and Austin (where she not-so-secretly watches Matthew McConaughey from afar during UT football games). Queso is her weakness and thanks to her family’s cooking, Indian/Tex-Mex cuisine is a real thing. She’s a die-hard Marvel Comics fan, an ube fanatic, and is always wrapped up in a story. Visit her at www.sajnipatel.com
The Gloss Book Club: How did you get into writing and what inspired you to write your first book?
Mary Kubica: I’ve been writing for almost as long as I can remember; it was one of those childhood hobbies that stuck. I tried writing many books before THE GOOD GIRL, but none that I finished and none that moved me the same way THE GOOD GIRL did. I was inspired, ironically enough, to write a love story that turned very dark and twisty on the page. It was completely by accident that I wrote a psychological suspense novel, but I found myself completely captivated by the genre and knew I’d found my niche.
TGBC: What makes a book great, in your opinion? What elements does a great story possess?
MK: A great hook, a propulsive plot – the kind of book you can’t put down, that you’re still thinking about even when you’re not reading – and authentic characters you truly care about as a reader.
TGBC: What are you doing if you’re not writing?
MK: Most likely, I’m spending time with my family. I have two teenagers and if I’m not watching them do their sports and activities, then I’m chauffeuring them around town. I also foster cats and kittens for a local shelter and am a long distance runner, soon to be training for my third marathon this summer.
TGBC: Name your favourite bookshop in the world.
MK: I have so many! But my local bookshop is Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois, who has been so incredibly supportive of me over the years. Honorable mentions go to Lake Forest Bookstore, Page 158 Books and FoxTale Book Shoppe.
TGBC: Physical book, e-book, or audiobook? – and why.
MK: Physical book and audiobook. I love the feel of holding a book in my hands, turning the pages and seeing my bookmark inside, but with audiobooks I’m able to multitask!
TGBC: What was your favourite book as a child?
MK: THE EYES OF THE AMARYLLIS by Natalie Babbitt
TGBC: We’re always on the hunt for our next great read. Recommend us a book to add to our TBR pile!
MK: I cannot stop raving about Jennifer Hillier’s LITTLE SECRETS – and she has a new one out this summer that I can’t wait to read!
TGBC: What is one movie, TV series, or podcast that you’re loving right now?
MK: I’ve just finished binge watching the first two seasons of Happy Valley – so good!
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