THE INTERVIEW

Hi Ekta 👋 and a big warm welcome to the blog….

Hello! My name is Ekta Garg, and I’m a Reviewer, Editor, Author, and Dreamer of stories and books. I write about grief and magic and hope and how these three intersect in my characters’ lives. I’ve been reading and writing my whole life; have worked in niche publishing since 2005; and was first published in 2021 with my holiday novella for grownups, The Truth About Elves. I’m a book podcaster and a writing contest judge, and one of my life philosophies is, “Drink tea, read books, be happy.”

The hardest story to write was undoubtedly “The Beauty Before She Sleeps,” only because it took me a really long time to figure out the entry point of the story. I kept writing and rewriting different ways to start it, and nothing seemed right. I also had to figure out where I was going to end it; in some ways, the story could have been its own novella, but that’s not what I was going for. I found it challenging to keep it down to a somewhat reasonable length. It’s funny, because I always knew the main points of the story that I wanted to hit, but getting through the more mechanical elements made it a challenge to write.

Do you find writing a collection of short stories easier or harder than a novella? 

In some ways, it’s easier. You don’t have to spend as much time working on character/plot development, and sometimes as a writer you yourself don’t even know everything that’s going on behind the scenes with a story. You might have more insight than the reader, because it’s your creation, but you’re not sure and that’s okay. Short stories are more compact in form, so you know you’re going to get in and out and you’re done. And the length of short stories really forces a writer to focus on what’s important. 

That’s also exactly what makes it harder too. With short stories, there’s only so much space and time to devote to what you’re trying to say. The word count limit also forces a writer to confront the actual point, which can sometimes be hard to go through because stories don’t always do what you’d planned for them to do. Sometimes you sit down to write a story thinking it’s going to be about X, and then it takes a complete left turn when you least expect it and turns out to be about Q. 

Some of the best short stories also feel like they race by you, and that 80-mile-an-hour rush, that nearly causes whiplash, can leave you breathless, whereas a novella or novel starts slow and revs up bit by bit until you’re speeding along and the world is blurring by and don’t want to get off until you hit that final point.

Actually, I think they’re both easy and hard all at the same time. 😁 And short story collections have the added challenge of making sure all the stories within a single collection sit next to each other in a way that makes sense. So, yes, easy and hard all at once.

If you could visit any country/place in the world, to base a future collection of short stories in, where would you go and why? 

Oh, wow, such a fun question! I’ve never thought about this before, but at the start of the summer our family had the incredible opportunity to visit Italy for the first time. I’d love to go back and, yes, set a series of short stories there!

As you are a professional book reviewer too, I already know that you’re a bookworm! What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book? 

I actually read pretty widely — sci-fi/fantasy; historical fiction; women’s and mainstream fiction; thrillers (domestic, legal, murder mysteries) — and across different ages — MG, YA, new adult, and adult books — so it’s hard to pinpoint a specific genre that I love more than any other. It’s kind of like asking a professional chef whether they love their ladles or their skillets more. Each has such a different purpose and utility that comparing them is hard.

For favorite authors, I’ll read absolutely anything by Fredrik Backman and T.M. Logan. I also adore Emily Jane’s work as well as Lindsay Currie. More than anything — age, genre, or author — I love books that surprise me. 

As for book format, I used to be one of those hardcore “only hard copy books for me!”…until my parents bought me my first Kindle in 2012. It’s kind of funny too, because they’d asked me if I wanted one, and I said, “No, I’ll never use a device to read a book!” (goofy purist that I was at that time,) and they turned around and bought it for me anyway. So I figured since they spent the money, I should be a good daughter and not let their money go to waste.

I haven’t looked back since. I even replaced that original Kindle with a newer one last year when the old one’s pixels started gasping on the screen.

However, I’m still a huge proponent of hard copy books. My nightstand currently holds about 20…well, maybe more. Thirty, I think? I haven’t counted. 😆 My husband just shakes his head and mutters that he’s glad he doesn’t have to share the nightstand with me. Many of these are from the library, but others are books I’ve bought that are on my TBR.

Last year, I also finally got into audiobooks and have started enjoying those as well. I can finally say I’m an omnivore when it comes to books!

And, really, that’s one of the best things about technology. It allows us to experience books — stories — in all forms and formats.

 Is “The Witch’s Apprentice & Other Stories” available to purchase worldwide?

If you have access to Amazon, you should be able to purchase it anywhere. Here in the States, you can order it from my author website and I’ll send you an autographed copy and a personalized note to say thank you. You  can also go to your local library or indie bookstore and ask them to get the book for you. Yay for libraries and indie bookstores!

 Growing up, had you always wanted to be a writer/editor/book reviewer or did you have other career aspirations?

I always knew I wanted to be an author. I stated it outright when I was 14, but I’ve been reading and absorbed in books since preschool. I was also one of those “nerdy” spelling bee kids 😄, so I’ve been surrounded by words and stories for my entire life. I think becoming an author was inevitable!

The editing and book reviewer roles came much later, but because both are so intricately connected to books it doesn’t surprise me. In addition to just really enjoying the editing process, I truly believe editing and reviewing books have both made me a better writer. So it all comes back to storytelling for me, and I’m so grateful that I get to do this.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

If I’m at home and not going anywhere, you’ll find me with my hair in a ponytail, no makeup, no jewelry, and in a pair of comfy PJs or an old t-shirt and soft shorts/capris. If I’m going out to lunch with a friend, I’ll probably wear a fun dress (in the summer) or a nice pair of pants and a pretty sweater (in the fall/winter) with some small, every-day jewelry. I also enjoy getting really dressed up for a big evening out. So it all depends on where I’m going and what I’m doing that day.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites ?

Hmm. When it comes to books, I love supporting my local indie bookstore, The Literary (https://www.literarybookbar.com/). I do shop on Amazon, but that’s mostly when I can’t find an item in a bricks-and-mortar store in town (and, sadly, that’s becoming more and more the case as even chain stores reduce inventory.) 

For clothes, in the last few years I discovered that Talbot’s has a lot of things that are my style and also that fit me. Our local Talbot’s is a little smaller, so I’ll check out their website from time to time to find things.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

We’re at the start of the school year, which means a lot of fall clothes have made their way into the stores and all the spring/summer stuff is on sale. I want to hit our local stores to find a few nice, fun, frilly things to replace some of my older summer things!

Boots or Shoes?

I love the way boots look and feel, but I don’t have the model, mile-long legs that my 19-year-old does to really rock a pair like a superstar. So it’s shoes (most of the time!) for me. 

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

Thanks so much for the opportunity to be featured! Here’s where people can find me:

Author website: https://ektargarg.com

Instagram/X: @EktaRGarg 

Facebook: https://facebook.comReviewerEditorAuthorDreamer