Kishan Paul Interview: Blind Love With Excerpt

Welcome our author

Kishan Paul 
Friday, July 17
7pm PST

Blind Love

Rad-Reader:  How did you come up with this storyline?

Kishan:  Blind Love was inspired by a challenge I took on in one of my social media groups. We had to write a story about a blind neighbor in an hour. Afterwards, I let someone read it who said, yeah blind people don’t go jogging by themselves. It bugged me because I knew that wasn’t true. I’d heard stories of people with vision impairments jogging, climbing trees, etc. Actually, it was Lauren who was bugged not so much me. Her character had developed through that one hour story I wrote and she was screaming at me. Telling me I needed to tell her story and show people that being blind wasn’t the end all.

So I started researching and found out about RP and got sucked in. I read blogs on line written by those who struggle with RP and their amazing journey and reached out to someone who moderates a Retinitis Pigmentosa group. I’ve loved every part of the research. 

Rad-Reader: Did this originally start as a romance/murder/Mystery

Kishan:  The story started off as a romance but  no matter how hard I tried to make it just a sweet simple romance, I just couldn’t do it. I’ve always loved suspense and Lauren kept getting herself into trouble.

Rad-Reader:  Lauren seemed so fearless with her blindness.  Why was it so important for her to feel normal over everything else? 

Kishan:  The ironic thing about Lauren was that she wasn’t fearless. She was actually very scared. Born with an incurable genetic condition that would eventually mean total blindness, she dreaded the day it would finally happen.

For most of her life, she was treated like she couldn’t do things because of her condition. Her family didn’t think she could go to college or have an independent life. She hated the fact they saw her as weak and she hated needing people, needing help. By going to college, getting her own place, having a career, it was her way to proving to herself that she was strong and those were things she refused to let blindness take from her. 

Rad-Reader:  What was so interesting by your answer is that most of the insecurities that you talked about seemed like the normal ones everyone go through.  To me it seemed like it finally hit her on her solo run and hit me too.  That’s when I went, Wow!

Rad-Reader:  Did you do a lot of research with the blindness foundation to see how to go about writing your story?

Kishan:  I reached out to a couple of foundations to help me with information but even more valuable were the stories/articles on social media I discovered along the way. There are so many people out there with RP and they document their successes and their pain on line. It was the most humbling thing to be able to read about their lives and their emotions. After I was done writing, I sent it to someone who moderates an RP page on Facebook to make sure I depicted Lauren accurately.

Rad-Reader:  The attachment that she had to Jack Sparrow was so endearing and special.  It did seem odd to me that she would send him to comfort another person when they are trained to stay with their special person.  Was that because she was a counselor or was she just purely thinking of the child?

Kishan:  Lauren knew Evan was an anxious child. She understood how he felt not just because she was a therapist but also because she struggled with her own fears. Jack had always been the one thing on the planet that calmed her and unlike the people in her life, he didn’t ask questions, tell her what to do, just sat with her until she felt better. She knew that was exactly what Evan needed and in her brain the idea of someone needing Jack more than she did, kinda felt good...

Rad-Reader:  Sunny was so funny where did you come up with her character?

Kishan:  LOL. Sunny came to me. I did not come up with her. She was the last thing I expected. I was just writing about Lauren and there was Sunshine Daye in all her glory stealing the show. She had me laughing and surprised me with the things she’d say.

Rad-Reader:  I kept thinking how creepy it was that Ben was out in front of her house all the time watching her comings and goings.  What was his deal for not fighting for her at the beginning before the divorce do you think?

Kishan:  Ben fell for Lauren when they were in high school. She was his first in every way. When they got married, he decided it was his job to take care of her, exactly what she didn’t want. They married young and like most people at nineteen and early twenties, Ben was naïve about himself and the world. He made a mistake and he knew he couldn’t undo what he did. It shamed him. He had failed Lauren. He didn’t fight for her because in the end he felt he was unworthy of her.

Rad-Reader:  Gabe the love interest was attached to Lauren before he found out she was blind.  He instantly endeared himself to me when he found out she was blind and still was sexually attracted and was in awe of her ability to.  Why did he really want to not have a relationship with her at the beginning or was it just for the reason that he had to go back to Texas off and on?

Kishan:  Gabe was a man of his word. He made a promise and part of keeping that promise was for him to have only short term flings and not get emotionally attached to anyone.

Rad-Reader:  Before he got the call from Texas he kept referring to the other matter notwithstanding as to why not to get together with anyone.  Did he mean his childhood or was it the people?

Kishan: It was because of the agreement he made with his past. He refused to have serious relationships because if and when they found out about his past, they’d expect him to change things and that was something he wasn’t about to do.

Rad-Reader:  I thought it ironic that the player (Ben) got played (by Hailey his 2^nd wife.)  What did he think would happen when he cheated with her?  That she would be faithful?  Are you planning on taking Ben in a new direction?

Kishan:  Ben obviously never got over Lauren. I think the fact that he wasn’t all in the marriage with Hailey played a big role in why his marriage didn’t work. I’m not sure what’s going to happen to Ben. He does deserve his happily ever after and it needs to be with someone who can whip his controlling self into shape.

Rad-Reader:  Hahaha!  Good answer maybe a woman that has him so wrapped like a dominatrices.

Rad-Reader:  Ben really wanted Lauren back and for her to forgive him.  She said she could forgive him but…”Some mistakes you can never undo.”  Where did you come up with that line?  It really spoke to a lot of the different situations in the book.

Kishan:  I’m a therapist by profession and this, in my opinion, is the reality of life. There are some mistakes, no matter how much you regret them, you can’t undo and sometimes they change your entire life. For Ben, cheating on Lauren did that, but I think for both of them, it may have been the best thing that happened...

Rad-Reader:  When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Kishan:  That’s an interesting story. As a kid, I’d create stories at night when I was alone in my bed. I’d read everything I could get my hands on. In school, my English teachers loved me, but being a writer wasn’t something I ever considered. So I went off to college then graduate school and then finally started my counseling career.

A couple of years ago, a family member of mine passed away from cancer. It hit me hard and I didn’t know what to do with my grief. A month after she passed, I opened up my laptop and started writing. 

Rad-Reader:  Were you supported by a friend like Lauren was to follow your dream to write?

Kishan:  I had a lot of support in this journey. My husband has been my rock. In his eyes, there’s nothing I can’t do. I am so lucky to have him in my life. My family, especially my parents, have been amazing. My friends. I have the most amazing group of friends. They’ve cheered me on and read everything I’ve written. Without the love and support of these individuals, I’m not sure I would have ever gotten here. 

Rad-Reader:  If your book was made into a movie who would you want to play:

Lauren:  Anna Kendrick

Gabe:  Jessie Pavelka

Sunny:  Kaley Cuoco

Ben:  Chance Crawford

Kishan:

Lauren:  Jessica Alba

Gabe:  Stephen Amell

Sunny:  Anna Kournikova

Ben:  Brant Daugherty

Rad-Reader:  If you were to pick a theme song for your book what would it be?

Kishan:  I have two. Treacherous by Taylor Swift for Lauren 

and All of Me by John Legend for Gabe

Rad-Reader:  When is your next book coming out?  Will it be a continuation of this book?  When will it be coming out?

Kishan:  I published a short story called Taking the Plunge in February of 2015. It’s part of the Love Least Expected Anthology. Taking the Plunge was the first part of an entire novel and I promised readers that I would have the completed novel published this fall.

I also have another story, The Second Wife, in the works. It’s entirely different than Blind Love and Taking the Plunge. The Second Wife is a true suspense and has a lot of dark parts to it. It’s the story I wrote when my cousin passed away.

As far as Blind Love is concerned, Sunny has been bugging me since she showed up. Sometime in 2016, I’m going to have to tell her story so she’ll stop talking to me.

Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers buy your book?

Kishan:   https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5449/blind-love

http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Love-Kishan-Paul-ebook/dp/B00WYTF3IO/ref=la_B00PMVR9MO_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435207073&sr=1-1

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-blindlove-1802895-149.html?referrer=5259b43e439d3

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/blind-love-31

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blind-love-kishan-paul/1121848544?ean=9781619229549

Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers find you? (Websites…)

Kishan:  To keep in touch with Kish:

Website:  http://kishanpaul.net
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KishanPaulAuthor
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/@kishan_paul
TSU:  https://www.tsu.co/kishanpaul
Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/kishanpaul
CoffeeTalk: http://www.coffeetalkwriters.com/coffee-talk-authors/kishan-paul/
Sign up for her newsletter at: http://mad.ly/signups/119110/join

Thank you Char for having me on and I had a great time doing this interview with you. 

From daring escapes by tough women to chivalrous men swooping in to save the day, the creativity switch to Kishan Paul’s brain is always in the “on” position. If daydreaming stories were a college course, Kish would have graduated with honors.

Mother of two beautiful children, she has been married to her best friend for over seventeen years. With the help of supportive family and friends, she balances her family, a thriving counseling practice, and writing without sinking into insanity.

Her novella, Taking the Plunge, is currently available in the Love Least Expected Anthology on Amazon.

She can be found at:

Website: http://kishanpaulauthor.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KishanPaulAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@kishan_paul

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kishanpaul

TSU: https://www.tsu.co/kishanpaul

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JQBudd

Sign up for her newsletter at: http://mad.ly/signups/119110/join

Gabe stayed on his knees with the kid wrapped around his neck. The two men stared each other down.

“Hey, there. My name’s Lauren. I’m your neighbor. What’s your name?”

“Evan.” His voice came out muffled from having his nose pressed into Gabe’s shoulder.

“Hi, Evan. This big dog beside me is Jack Sparrow. We call him Jack.”

The dog wagged his tail and licked Lauren’s face. “Jack, say ‘I love you’.”

Both of Gabe’s hands were where visible, but Ben stayed on alert.

When the dog yodeled his response, Evan turned his head. The kid’s eyes doubled in size.

Lauren smiled. “Dogs can’t talk, right? And they can’t. But sometimes they can make noises that sound like they’re talking. And Jack’s a special dog. He’s trained to smell when people need help. Like me. I need his help a lot because I’m blind.”

“You are?” Now Evan had turned completely around and peered into her face.

“Yup, I am. Jack’s my guide dog. He helps me get places and do things.”

“Wow.”

Both Evan and Gabe gazed at Lauren with looks of awe on their faces.

She smiled and kissed the dog’s neck. “He is wow. But what makes him even more wower is he can tell you’re a little scared and he wants to help you.”

“He does?”

“Yup. What he wants to do is to give you a kiss and let you hug him so you’ll feel better. I do it all the time with him when I’m scared. If you’re okay with trying, why don’t you give him your hand and see if it helps?”

“Gabe?” Evan said, still glued to his dad.

“It’s okay, Sprout, he won’t hurt you,” Gabe whispered.

The kid reached out his palm. Jack put his paw on it and panted.

“He wants me to shake his hand,” Evan announced, giving the furry foot a shake.

When Jack licked his cheek, instead of screaming, he laughed.

Acid burned in the pit of Ben’s stomach, from the way the man was eyeing Lauren.

“Thank you. For everything,” he said to her.

Lauren’s smile faded. “I didn’t do it for you.”

“I know.”

Ben cleared his throat but said nothing. She nodded. “Well, I better get back inside. Jack, you coming?”

The dog whined back his answer.

“He seems to want to hang out with your son.”

Gabe had yet to blink much less look away. “It’s mutual. Would you mind if they played together for a little while?”

Lauren bit her lip and Ben prayed she’d say no. “You wouldn’t hurt him would you?”

“Do you think I would?”

She shrugged. “You’re obviously capable of a lot more than I realized but no, I don’t think you will.” She got up from her spot. “He’ll come home when he’s ready to, or send him over when you guys are done, whichever happens first.”

Where to buy:

Publisher: https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5449/blind-love

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JQAu8M

Blind Love Trailer: http://bit.ly/1JQAVju

Kishan,

I can’t tell you how much this book took me off guard.  It takes a reader in so many different directions in a short period of time but with a great deal fun and yet an emotional sadness too.  I was so pleased to be able to interview you because as a reader I was able to get some of my burning questions answered about some of the characters and an author not think I’m crazy, well maybe not totally. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to be with us and joining our Rad-Reader Family.  I am sure some think we take them prisoner after picking their brains so much.  It is with an open heart we say come back anytime and continued good luck which you seriously don’t need this book speaks for itself.  5++++stars all the way.

Thanks again,
Char