Reading is my favourite thing to do and no matter what, I will ALWAYS create time for it in my day.
Twisha Keswani – 7 February 2026
The Back Flap
“Two rulers from rival kingdoms struggle with their looming coronations after being left as the sole heirs to their kingdoms. After going from friends to rivals following a betrayal, they are faced with a common threat amidst fighting with one another. Now, they are forced to work together as rebels threaten them and their kingdoms.
Ilveria is ruled to remain fortified, strong, and powerful, but the people there hate the impassivity of their ruler, Elysea.
Ukiyora is governed with consideration for what the citizens want, but their ruler, Easton, is better with people than he is with leading a kingdom.
She can’t trust him. Not again. He can’t be honest with her. Not truly. He’s cocky, and she hates it. She’s cold, and he knows he’s the cause of it. The rebels are getting closer and closer, and as they do, new questions arise. But will there be enough time left for them to get the answers they so desperately desire?”
About the book
What is the book about?
Crown of Defeat is about two rulers that went from friends to rivals following a jarring betrayal. Now, they are faced with fighting more than just themselves as they grapple with a common threat to both their kingdoms. Their fight for freedom uncovers hidden secrets tracing back to their pasts. People begin to ask questions and demand answers. Left as the sole heirs to the throne, there’s nothing left to save their dynasty if they don’t get the information they need in time.
When did you start writing the book?
I began writing this book in the pandemic when I had ample time to focus on my interests like reading and writing.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took me around a year and a half to finish the book but I had written the ending way before I had the entire manuscript completed.
Where did you get the idea from?
I got this idea when playing a game called carrom board during the pandemic. The first sentence just popped up in my mind and I left the game to run up and write it so I wouldn’t forget.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I found the middle of the book somewhat challenging to write because I found there to be breaks between my writing process requiring constant re-reads for me to get my bearings and acquaint myself with the characters again. Another issue I had was that I was writing a lot of it on the spot with a very bare bone outline in mind. Sometimes I would struggle with alternating the different perspectives in the book.
What came easily?
I found it easy to make supplementary material like Pinterest boards, Spotify playlists, and extra scenes for the book. It kept me in the mindset of the characters and as a writer while not putting pressure on me to finish the book in a haste.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
The characters are for the most part fictitious, however I did take some inspiration from what I was experiencing for certain character dynamics. One of my favourite tropes to write is reverse grumpy x sunshine so it came to me easily but I could definitely relate some of it to my own life.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Definitely. Reading is my favourite thing to do and no matter what, I will ALWAYS create time for it in my day. Since my writing journey has been split over years, I have had different inspiration and learned different lessons. I love to read romance, mystery, and romantasy which aligns strongly with my book and has had a huge influence in how I write and envision the plot of Crown of Defeat. In particular, I really enjoy Holly Jackson and Stephanie Garber’s works.
Do you have a target reader?
I try to make my books inclusive to as many readers as possible and I think most ages can read it but I feel as though teenagers and those who are in the young adult category would particularly enjoy the book.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
My writing process varied throughout. I started off dreaming of the book and wrote on the spot. I liked to have a drink with me as well as a snack and imagine being interviewed about certain parts of the book to increase my motivation. There were many times where I would write a chapter then edit it right after in a way that completely changed what I originally wrote.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
For the most part, I liked to write it as I went but I did sometimes imagine the book as a way of “outlining” in my head. Around the last 10-15 chapters I wrote a rough sequence of events in terms of what I wanted to happen next. The reason I did that later on in the novel was so I could see the connections I wanted to mention and make in the second book of the series. There are a few things in Crown of Defeat that are left open and unanswered which I plan to place more focus on in the second book so the writing process had a lot of consideration towards it. Sometimes I would just talk aloud about the book to try to make sure everything would fit together in the long run.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I did a little bit of both. At the start, I would edit as I went and be really nitpicky about it. Later though, I began seeing people suggesting to give your writing a chance and wait until after the manuscript was done to edit. For the most part I tried – and still do – to edit afterwards but when I was in my editing stage I would sometimes rewrite entire scenes or certain aspects of them and edit on the spot.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I hired an editor to go over any typos or grammatical errors I may have missed. I was very busy juggling academics and working on other aspects of my book so it made sense to have a second pair of eyes to catch these kinds of issues. Even then, I spent months reviewing and re-editing and I found it to be a large chunk of the publishing process.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I love to listen to music as I write and read. Sometimes I would listen to playlists of classical music for when you’re on a deadline but for the most part I would play the songs I was really into at the time. Eventually I began to notice similarities in the music I listened to and Crown of Defeat which resulted in a playlist that I listened to when I worked on the book.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I looked into a few agents and hybrid publishers but ultimately decided to self publish since I knew nothing about the industry or process and heard stories of people getting scammed which scared me away. Now that I am much more educated on publishing however, I am definitely more comfortable with considering an agent or publisher.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
There were many things. I quickly learnt that writing the book wasn’t even half of what it meant to publish a book. In fact, most of the time I spent on the book was for it to be ready for publication. I gradually learnt more about the services offered and how to use them and by the time I even considered a publisher, I had already done the majority of the work myself which led me to continue down the Indie route.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I got it done professionally. It was still a creative process from my side as I had to describe the cover and provide revisions. Right now it is one of my favourite things about the book’s design.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
A little bit of both. I began marketing a while back but was very on and off with it. My marketing process has been making edits for my book but I want to expand it to gain more exposure. I am working with a marketer which also requires my involvement.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
I want to first give my kudos to everyone who is so much as thinking over it and wanted to assure them it IS possible. Crown of Defeat taught me that childhood dreams don’t die and I know that other manuscripts all hold that potential too. As for the actual Indie route, I would say that it’s a long process and it is important to know what you are getting into. I fully believe passion creates purpose which is often why people enter an industry such as this one. That being said, writing is not the only job a writer has if they choose to go down the Indie route. While I encourage everyone to write, I urge them to ensure they know what the process entails to avoid burnout or frustration so the passion doesn’t ebb away. This is not to dissuade anyone but just to ensure understanding. Don’t get me wrong, it’s worth every bit of effort when you finally hold your book in your hand. Just make sure you’re ready to work for it.
About You
What would you like readers to know about you?
I want readers to know the human side of me, the part that isn’t holed up in her room and writing until her hand cramps. My favourite color went from red, to purple, to green. I love to read, write, and watch my comfort shows. I’m an ambivert and I can appreciate both being alone and being in a group of people. I love to express myself through poems, books, songs, and art. I love making reaction videos to anything and everything and sending them to my friends. I also love editing them to be as entertaining as possible. My mind runs ten miles a minute and there isn’t anything someone can say or do that I haven’t already thought of. Fanfiction has and always will be my home away from home. I am not immune to imposter syndrome and probably still won’t be even if I were to sell 1,000 copies of Crown of Defeat by the end of the week. I hope that makes readers see me as just another person because if there’s one thing us readers can do it’s to dream, and if there’s one thing I want them to take away from this all, it’s that they can reach for the stars and hold onto them too.
What are you working on now?
As of now, I am working on the second book in the Crown series which takes place right after Crown of Defeat. In addition, I try to write extra scenes for the universe as much as I can.
End of Interview:
Get your copy of Crown of Defeat from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
