Frontlist | Indian-American author talks about South India in debut novel

Frontlist | Indian-American author talks about South India in debut novel
on Feb 02, 2021

As an Indian-American traveling through South India, author N.S. Vishwanath was fascinated by the many great empires that once ruled the land of his ancestors. His love for storytelling and history converged in a most delightful way, culminating in the writing of his debut historical novel “Nights of the Moonless Sky: A Tale from the Vijayanagara Empire.” In sixteenth-century South India, Rajanna, the seventy-year-old patriarch of the majestic Madhuvana estate, has died. An archaic ritual of sati is encouraged by the elders, and Rajanna’s widows are expected to be cremated alive. But Aadarshini, Rajanna’s third wife, and mother of his heir, refuses to die. The twenty-two-year-old escapes in a quest to take control of her own destiny. She must survive and find her young son who was separated from her during the botched escape, and she must find a way to regain the estate that is rightfully her son’s. But with no one to trust and danger at every turn, her odds are slim. In this thrilling historical novel, the lives of many will forever be changed, and no one can predict the outcomes. “I wanted to showcase a broken woman and her determined effort to reinvent herself,” said Vishwanath. “Medieval South India provided a captivating backdrop tapestry for my story.” With “Nights of the Moonless Sky,” Vishwanath hopes to enthrall readers with a well-told thriller, and spark their interest in historical fiction from South India. About the author N.S. Vishwanath earned a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. After a career in technology development, he recalibrated his compass to pursue his interests in writing, music and history. Currently, he splits his time between the New York City area and Mysore, a splendorous town in South India. About Archway Publishing Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience.   Source: Globe Newswire