The prologue became vivid in my mind in the form of a long, poetic run-on sentence describing a scene in the ancient Indian night sky. While at a party with family and friends, I began first playing with words that would become this world.
Merlin Senthil – 23 August 2026
The Back Flap
Happily married Wendy and Kesh are shopping for an Indian family festival when an old flame runs over and straddles him in the aisle. She’s gorgeous, charming, and one of two sisters who will soon sink their claws into the hearts of everyone in the Muthu family. Can Kesh withstand temptation? Will Wendy forgive him if he can’t? And if things take a sinister turn, will their marriage—and family—survive?
About the book
What is the book about?
Two sexy, scheming sisters. Disapproving wealthy, in-laws. And a mysterious family jewel that everyone’s dying to get their hands on. Dear to Saturn is about a wealthy Indian family whose long-hidden secrets erupt in chaos at their family festival. What seems like an ordinary romcom takes a dark turn into an unpredictable folklore thriller.
When did you start writing the book?
I wrote the first words on New Year’s Eve of 2023. The prologue became vivid in my mind in the form of a long, poetic run-on sentence describing a scene in the ancient Indian night sky. While at a party with family and friends, I began first playing with words that would become this world.
How long did it take you to write it?
The first few months were all outlining and developing the story, characters, and plot, but I finished my first draft within a year. The second year there were many rewrites.
Where did you get the idea from?
It was an intersection of different ideas and interests I had at the times, but one of the earliest inspirations was watching a bad romcom with my wife that didn’t make sense to me, and I kept waiting for a plot twist that would connect all the dots—but it never came. That, married with my current fascination with sapphires and Indian folklore, became Dear to Saturn.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Oh, yes. Every part of the process can be a struggle at times, but for me, resolving all plot holes and working out all the kinks of the story is the most agonizing process. I have this concept or starting point, and then where I want it to go—either emotionally or visually or toward some climax—but the individual steps of getting there are so much more than you think when you get impassioned by the spark of a great idea. I will, literally, be staring at nothing, racking my brain for weeks trying to figure out how something works or how to connect certain dots. Developing a story that is coherent is very important to me, and this process has to happen, but it is very annoying.
What came easily?
For me, the easiest part is the writing. I just love stringing words together. I love entering a scene and figuring out how to describe it and bring it to life. This part only happens really easily, though, when I have labored beforehand on making sure I have a good story, plot, and characters fleshed out so that I can have the freedom to just write!
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
I 100% borrow things from people in real life. I am constantly observing a person’s mannerisms, the phrases they use, personality differences, and all kinds of things that might influence a character or help me flesh them out more.
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?
Yes, of course. I don’t read as much as I should, but some authors I love that I have connected with and felt resonance with in the form of my interests and writing voice would be William Goldman, C.S. Lewis, John Steinbeck, and G.K. Chesterton.
Do you have a target reader?
Not really, but I suppose someone like me. Someone I would call a friend. A person that loves the same types of worlds and words that I do.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
It starts with a spark, some idea, title, concept, scene. I play with it, almost trying to figure the story out like it’s a mystery needing to be solved, or as a movie I’m watching in my mind. I write notes on my phone, paper, wherever—till I have enough to work with and start outlining.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
My outlines have changed depending on the project, but yes, I do always outline. I find that I have the most freedom to write when I have a framework of the story figured out already. I don’t get stopped at every roadblock because I don’t know where the story is going, or who this character is, or why they would do this or that. I write out the story a million times in my mind or in various forms of outlines before actually doing the writing—most of the time anyway. Sometimes I get too excited and start writing some things. My outlines usually look like brief descriptions of each scene or section of the chapter or book. I give myself enough to work with but not enough to have had it all worked out already. I kind of know where the characters come from, why they are there, and where they are headed but everything else comes with the writing. It’s as if I’m a fly on the wall, and I now get to choose how to describe and tell the story I’m seeing unfolding.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I probably shouldn’t edit as I go, but I do. I always reread over what I just wrote a hundred times and tweak things. It can be a mode of procrastination, but I also just love rereading what I wrote and finding ways to tweak it.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Yes, I hired an editor from Reedsy.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I listen to everything, from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack to Justin Bieber to dead silence. I’ve had to learn to write in some chaotic environments, so anything remotely calming and where I’m not too distracted is nice.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I spent 6-9 months submitting to hundreds of agents in batches of 10-30, refineing my query letters and trying out different pitches, but I wasn’t having much luck, which–coming from my screenwriting background–isn’t something novel to me.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I came into writing this novel very open to self-publishing, but I wanted to give traditional publishing a shot first. I always intended to have an aggressive, extensive marketing plan either way, but I wanted the affirmation of being selected by an agent and manager. However, the entire reason I wrote a book was to finally share one of my stories with the world, since my films and scripts have been primarily underwraps and private for submitting to studios, agents, etc. I pivoted to self-publishing and indie publishing to help bring this dream to life.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Yes, I hired a human artist that I felt would be a good fit for this story after studying her work and finding her on Reddit, of all places. She lives in the Philippines, and I am very happy to have found her because I am a huge fan of her work now and how she brought this story to life visually.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
This can be a sensitive topic for me because I planned out a very intentional and aggressive marketing strategy for months, bringing in all my social media background and doing heavy research, but it did not bring about the result I had hoped. That said, I am still being persistent and giving every aspect of marketing my best shot. I posted anywhere from 3-10 times a day for months on most social media platforms, did big events and challenges, connected with libraries and bookstores. I even said the title of my book 10,000 times and covered my entire body with the pages of my book on YouTube. It was a lot, pretty exhausting. I am trying to find the balance of being consistent but making it sustainable now. I hope all the seeds I have sewn here will later bring forth growth and fruit.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
It is a lot of work writing a book, publishing it, and marketing it, but it is manageable. I did this while working two jobs and having a newborn. It may take a while, and you need to make your work sustainable and hold it in a healthy place when it comes to your personal life, faith, work, etc. The more you write the easier it gets. I understand being overwhelmed by the marketing aspect—but you don’t have to do what I did. You never know what story might take off. Or who might come across it. Or who might like your pitch and help you publish it. Writing a good story is what matters. Keep fueling the fire of writing, get better at it, and bring powerful stories to life. When you have a story you truly love and believe in, the rest will fall into place—and even if it doesn’t—playing your role as a storyteller and creating good art is what truly matters.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio.
Where do you live now?
I live in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California now.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I’ve faced a lot of rejection and crushed dreams in my life, but this has never stopped me from writing stories. Telling stories—in all forms—is like breathing for me. Even if I tried to hold my breath, it wouldn’t be for long. I have to create. My dream is that this would become a career, and I could stop hustling multiple jobs to pay the bills and provide for my family doing something I love. I don’t know what future God has in store for me, but I know that I will keep writing. I hope to find friends that enjoy the stories I write because I just genuinely love them. I see stories as a gift. They just come to me—as do the words I use to tell them. I’m learning to be content enjoying a good story no matter how many other people enjoy it with me—but the more the merrier, ya know?
What are you working on now?
Too many things. I’m working on another fantasy/thriller novel and adapting a few of my screenplays into novels, one of them a graphic novel. I am also working on a few short films and hoping to get to work on an indie film one day soon.
End of Interview:
Get your copy of Dear to Saturn from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
