My New Crime Thriller ‘Reason to Fight’ Is Out Now!
Well, I say ‘crime thriller’, but ‘Reason to Fight’ spans a variety of genres
It feels weird to start an article without the ‘Introduction’ heading.
I doubt I’m well-known enough for anyone to have noticed, but in case you did, the reason I was absent from Medium for nearly the entirety of the previous month is I am also an author.
My writing process, a mixture of planning and pantzing, is entirely too uneven and chaotic. I write in bursts. And last month, around 10K words in — those 10K words came in around 30 days — I got the writing bug again.
See, the previous book I’d published came in 2022. Since then, I have devoted myself more and more to Medium. Short-form. Non-fiction. I developed author’s rust, if that’s a term.
But somehow, last month, that itch, that total, enveloping drive, returned. When that happens, I feel I cannot breathe until I have accomplished the task at hand. I enter a different state entirely.
So, over the past month, I wrote 60K words, and completed the whole damn thing.
And, thanks to a little game-changing something called ‘self-publishing’, it’s now out!
I will be sharing all the details in text form also, but I designed this multi-slide graphic the day before yesterday, which I think I’m prouder of than the book itself, because I’m not a designer. Of any description.
So here it is!
The book, named Reason to Fight, is available worldwide in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover. I designed the exterior as well. Dost thou like it?
The front cover depicts one of the protagonists, private investigator Radha Bose, whose trademark is her waist-length red hair. The rear cover depicts her new teenage assistant, Aditya Gokhale.
Both pictures have a watercolor effect I found quite arresting.
So Radha is a former military officer who is now a private investigator, after something drove her from her previous calling and gave her PTSD. She is intelligent and hard-working, but also has substance use issues.
Aditya, on the other hand, is a college dropout suffering from clinical depression, anxiety, and panic disorder. He is a hothead with no filter, but with an idealistic heart.
Reason to Fight is the first entry in a seven-book series about two flawed individuals battling mental illness together while solving complex crimes.
This particular case was brought by television actor Omkar Malakar, who believes the death of his teenage son, Athiveer, was not, despite the official diagnosis, a suicide.
Athiveer was popular at school, meaning he had a few friends. The suspect pool for this case comprises of five people. These are the first three.
I think I can safely disclose Athiveer was killed. His death was not a suicide. Otherwise there’d be no book.
Unless… it was a suicide, but while investigating, Radha and Aditya discovered something else… that’s an idea. I think I’ll keep that in mind for future entries.
These are the final two. Sarayu (Sara for short), Hridyanshu (Hridoy), Zoya (Zo), and Neelambar (Neel) were Athiveer’s friends. Omkar was his father.
Reason to Fight is priced at the lowest possible point. I live in India, but for the US, I think the Kindle edition goes for $2.99.
Whatever it is, please know I couldn’t practically go any lower. I always want to make my books accessible to all, whatever their income — God knows I’m not exactly made of money myself — but Amazon requires a minimum.
So… are ya intrigued? Are ya?
If you are (please be), here is a universal link, that’s supposed to detect your country and load the appropriate Amazon marketplace:
If it, for whatever reason, doesn’t work, this is the link for the American Kindle marketplace:
https://www.amazon.com/Reason-Fight-Radha-Aditya-Chandrayan-Gupta-ebook/dp/B0D58P9BCV
All you have to do is replace the .com with your country’s extension (for instance, .in for India, .co.uk for the UK, .ca for Canada, .de for Germany) and you’ll land in your country’s marketplace.
Reason to Fight is a character-driven novel that introduces the unique, flawed, eccentric team of Radha Bose and Aditya Gokhale, who form an instant connection and embark on an unconventional love story, while simultaneously investigating a case with several twists and turns, and a killer I hope you won’t see coming.
In that respect, Reason to Fight is a crime thriller wrapped in a whodunnit wrapped in a psychological thriller wrapped in a character drama wrapped in the beginning of a love story.
If you reside in, say, the US or the UK, an added hook for you is a vivid evocation of life in the bustling, rich in heritage Indian city of Kolkata.
My writing style is quite descriptive. I always need to set the scene. This does slow the pace a touch, but ensures maximum immersion.
That is about the best sales pitch I can conjure. The current literary landscape requires us to be both, but I am an author, not a marketer. This aspect of the process is especially difficult for me, an introvert.
So, if you enjoy reading mystery, suspense, crime, drama, romance, portrayals of a foreign place, strong, grounded women in powerful positions, realistic depictions of mental illness, and a healthy dose of humor, please consider giving ‘Reason to Fight’ a chance.
That is all, folks. Until next time.
If you enjoy my writing, please consider joining my newsletter for exclusive content and buying me a coffee. I am immensely thankful for all your support.
