All profits from ‘Burgundy Winters: in Europe’ support underprivileged children.
Author Pranay Patil of India uses his talents to write powerful books. But the activist who turns his passion into outreach said he doesn’t believe it’s the language that has the power.
“It’s the transmission of emotions that wield it.” he said recently in an interview with Fiona McMann of Wylin’5 FM in New York.
Patil’s new book, “Burgundy Winters: in Europe,” transports readers through a dark journey of addiction, tragedy, love and self-forgiveness.
Based on a true story, the book, released in early March, chronicles Jace Tanner, an American rocker who was battling a drug addiction. Following the death of his best friend from a cocaine overdose, Jace’s hardships intensify, now overcome with feelings of guilt and self-loathing of his own actions. After a stay in rehab, Jace finds new love that develops into a paranormal romance.
Patil’s inspiration for the book came from his travels around Europe, noting he would often talk with his friends about his experiences and then decided to use them to craft the novel.
He said it took him about a year to write the book, and then it was published by Crystal Peake in England.
“I think they are brilliant to work with, believe in integrity and are very patient. Kevin and Nikki were very helpful throughout the process. They take on a few books and concentrate on them with all their heart and soul until they are a success,” he said in the interview. “They are not in it for the money, but for a long-term relationship with each author. This experience has changed my view of the publishing industry forever.”
Before his experience with Crystal Peake, Patil had a negative view of some publishers who practiced unethically when they would “view first-time authors as a mint and when self-publishing companies try to charge you a fortune for something they should be paying you for.”
Patil’s use of his art is not for his monetary gain, either, he said. One hundred percent of the book sale profits go towards charitable organizations. The money he received on advance from the book was donated to children in underdeveloped areas get a quality education.
For Patil, success isn’t defined by how rich he can become as an author, but rather, how much good he can do with the money he makes. He has funded children with HIV in India to get them a quality education and a socially acceptable lifestyle. He said literary success for him would be “the ability to earn enough so that I can make a difference in the lives of the needy.”
Patil has always considered himself a dreamer and a lover of books. He said the first book to ever make him cry was Steinbeck’s “Of mice and men.” As a writer, he said the craft characterizes him, and he said writers should also be careful of what publishing can do to their ego.
“A writer or not, a big ego hurts the ones you love,” he said. “It’s not worth a damn.”
He notes that while anyone can be a writer, successful novelists have a way of crafting true emotions into the storyline.
“If they can’t feel a full spectrum of emotions, then I wouldn’t want to read their books,” he said.
In his new book, he said the hardest scene for him to write was Death of Aiden, and like all authors, he has secrets in his book that only a few people in his life could identify.
Patil, who said he would never write under a pseudonym, views his writing style as “re-mystifying” and admits there are some days he doesn’t write at all, and then on others, he taps away at his keyboard for 18 hours.
He said when he finds himself stuck from writer’s block, he shifts focus to solve the problem.
“The way I deal with it is by writing a parallel storyline,” he said. “By the time I finish one novel, I already have two ready and a cure for writers block, too.”
His biggest obstacle, he said, is just getting started.
“Once I start, I don’t lose focus,” he said.
When he is writing, Patil doesn’t try to be original or deliver something he thinks the readers want. Instead, he writes from his soul.
“I really don’t try to do anything or be anyone,” he said. “Lucky for me, that is exactly what my readers want.”
What Patil enjoys about writing fiction is there is less of a need to do extensive research. He said while he will check some facts with professionals, the one rule he will always follow is to never rely on internet searches for the material he includes in his books.
In his work, Patil said it’s important to him that he does not push his views on readers or make demands of them.
“I write in each protagonist’s own perspective and let the readers decide what they want to take from my book,” he said.
For any author, readers also include reviewers, who share their opinions freely, whether they are good or bad. Patil said he is always open to criticism and praise alike.
“What I loathe is unethical criticisms or false praises,” he noted.
Such is the case for storylines with subject matter that, for some, can be complicated. “Burgundy Winters: in Europe” includes themes of the paranormal, a concept Patil said some accept better than others.
“It’s very personal. Some people accept the paranormal instantly and some take a lifetime. I think if you see anything supernatural, you would be terrified and accept it fast because the ghost isn’t going to wait and ease you into its dimension,” he said.
When Patil isn’t enthralled in his writing, he is usually creating masterpieces in the kitchen using ingredients he grows on his farms or watching “Superman” with his kids. His family, he said, are his biggest supporters.
“They are equally part of my journey,” he said. “It’s not a career for me, but a hobby that breaks me free from the shackles of social norms.”
Burgundy Winters is selling by the thousands in Europe and the USA, and is making room for itself in major bestseller lists.
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