CHENNAI: Sangeeta Shankaran Sumesh maybe the only author in town to enjoy a cubicle with a picturesque view of the east coast. That is because, apart from being the author of the book A Glance at the Unknown, she is the chief financial officer and the executive director of a multi-national company, Dun and Bradstreet Technologies and Data Services. To meet her, you may have to wait in a waiting room named ‘Pound’. But not to worry, the one across hallway is named ‘Euro’, so the reference is towards the currency as opposed to an animal shelter.
A welcoming smile and her firm handshake may mislead you into thinking that her book is about corporate etiquettes. But A Glance at the Unknown is an intriguing fiction thriller that has intertwined murder, rape, extra marital affair, treachery and tragedy along with mystery, spirituality, clairvoyance deeds and consequences. It also touches upon principles like values, purpose, integrity, crisis and conflict management and work-life balance which are instilled into the reader through an engaging storyline. The book is a blend of mysticism, Indian philosophy and modern world.
Sangeeta was inspired to write the book after her vacation in Cambodia. “We visited the killing fields there. I was overwhelmed by the remnants of the torturous past and was exposed to the extreme facets of the history of human cruelty. This triggered the need to write about what happens when people behave barbarically and about 18 months later, I wove those feelings into fiction which turned into a book,” she says.
Being able to balance work and writing was a challenge that Sangeeta overcame. “When I started writing, I would work only during weekends. I would pen down thoughts during my morning walks and spin them into story over the weekend. The first few chapters took a long time to complete. The fact that I took a long break did not help the cause. Then I chanced upon a 100-day book authoring challenge end of November and found motivation to complete the book,” she grins. “Although it was aimed at an age group of 18 to 50, I have had people from all age groups giving feedback about the positive messages that they got from the book.”
The book is priced at `199. For details, call : 9176682844. Ebook version is available at https://www.facebook.com/Sangeeta.S.Sumesh/