A story is a journey; when a thought is shaped into a story, it takes time to process the imagination and vision to turn into a beautiful tale. In this interview series, I ask authors about their stories Behind the Story.

I am very happy to start this new series on my blog with my dear friend, fellow blogger and an acclaimed author, Harshita Nanda. Recently, her story ‘The Silver Anklet’ has found a home in The Blogchatter Book of Thrillers, along with other fourteen stories. Read her inspiration and experience with this thriller story.

TBS: Hello Harshita! Welcome to the BTS: Behind the Story. Before we begin, I want to congratulate you once again for being one of the contributing authors of The Blogchatter Book of Thrillers.

I loved reading your story, The Silver Anklet and it will stay with me forever. I want to know what was the inspiration behind you writing this story.

H: Okay, so I actually wrote two other stories to submit for the anthology. I was confused about which one I should submit for the anthology. I even got the stories beta read by another friend. But somehow, I thought that something was missing in both the stories. I was not 100% satisfied. It was then that I remembered my biji’s (grandmother) anklets which my mother had given me during the last trip to India. Somehow, I couldn’t get their image out of my mind and wrote a story about the anklet.

TBS: When you came across the notification by Blogchatter about the submission of a short story in the suspense/thriller genre, what was the first thing that came to your mind?

H: I actually came under a lot of stress because I knew it was an amazing opportunity. I badly wanted to be a part of the anthology. But yes, thriller is not the genre I prefer to write in, so I did grumble about the chosen genre while writing the story.

TBS: How did you bring your thoughts and imagination to paper and shape your story? How long did it take to reach the final draft?

H: I am an intuitive writer, so I do not follow any technique. I usually have an image in my mind and I start the story from there. For The Silver Anklet, I think I took about 4 days to complete and submit.

TBS: Have you read or watched something in the suspense/thriller genre recently? How fond are you of this genre?

H: I am fond of murder mysteries and psychological thrillers, but I don’t read them very often. I am not too enamored of horror per se. I think the most recent book would have been Alisha K’s latest, Death on the Doorstep, which is a paranormal, cozy murder mystery.

And on Television I saw Jaane Jaan which I enjoyed quite a bit.

TBS: What is your favorite story/novel in the Thriller genre?

H: In thriller, I think it would have to be More Things in Heaven and Earth by Kiran Manral and the Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides?

TBS: What was the inspiration behind the characters of your story?

H: I think for me only the anklets were inspired. The characters just developed, so I don’t think any character has been inspired from real or reel life.

TBS: Have you experienced any kind of eerie feeling while writing the story?

H: No, only the buzz that you get when you complete the story.

TBS: My last question is, are you afraid of Ghosts? Do you believe in the presence of the other world? Have you experienced any kind of paranormal activities in your life?

H: I am petrified of ghosts and things that go bump in the night. I have an overactive imagination, thus, even something minor out of the ordinary can send shivers down my spine. I remember once at our native place I couldn’t sleep the whole night cos I felt a shadow standing behind the door. It turned out to be a curtain, but I was too scared to get up and see in the night!

Thank you, Harshita, for accepting my request to share your journey of the story The Silver Anklet and your experience with the Thriller genre here. Looking forward to read your future literary endeavour. Wishing you the best in your author journey ahead.

Dear readers, if you are intrigued to know more about this wonderful collection of fifteen thriller stories, grab The Blogchatter Book of Thrillers and spend your bookish holiday with these brilliant stories.

If you want to know more about the anthology, you can read my detailed review of the book here.

Until I bring you my next guest onboard, keep reading, writing and weaving your story, because everyone has a story!

Happy Storytelling!!