My Heart is Booked Blog

In an effort to promote indie and self-published authors, I will be interviewing one or two authors per month whose books I have read and enjoyed. Today, I am pleased to bring you my most recent interview with Razi Imam, author of the Master Series and Driven. You can find my review of the book 1 of the Master Series, Masters of the Broken Watches, here.

What or who originally inspired you to begin writing fiction? 

I wrote Driven, my first book, in 2010. It’s a creative nonfiction book focusing on a Sufi concept called Junoon. A hypnotic ability to remain steadfast on a seemingly impossible goal. While the majority of the book is nonfiction, five chapters of the book are fiction. Writing those chapters sparked a new desire that I did not know I had. I’m a storyteller.

In 2016, after living all our lives in suburbia, my wife and I moved to a condo to experience urban living. This condo is in a prime location of Pittsburgh overlooking the three rivers. The view is truly spectacular. One Saturday morning in May 2016, I was sitting in the window seat drinking coffee and looking outside at the gorgeous view. All of a sudden, I felt a spark go off in my mind. I am not exaggerating; it was like a flash of light. I know it sounds really cheesy and I can’t help it. This is exactly how it happened. Masters of the Broken Watches, chapter by chapter, came rushing into my head. All 26 chapters came to me in a span of two hours.  Around 10am my wife walked over and noticed my expression. She asked what had happened, and I told her that my next book had come to me after six years. As the day went on concepts for books two through five became clear. The Master series was born. 

How has your work in Artificial Intelligence affected your crafting of characters? 

In addition to being an author, I am the CEO of 113 Industries, an Artificial Intelligence (or AI) company. So you can say I do have a strong understanding of AI. In our company, we study large-scale behaviors of consumers. My work has shown me facets of human behavior and psychology that are fascinating. Without using AI studying these behaviors at scale would be next to impossible. When possible I have tried to incorporate these behavior facets in my characters hoping to make them relatable to my readers. 

You clearly did a lot of research for Masters of the Broken Watches.  Can you shed some light on your unique research experience?

I have three main methods of research:

1. Observational Research: I am fascinated by how people react to certain situations. For example, when their flights get cancelled or the food they ordered did not come as they expected. I love the diversity of humanity, the way people think, and how unique cultures and religions respond to situations in very different ways. 
2. Scientific Research:  I am an avid reader of quantum physics, mysticism, psychology, and human behavior. I will find the source material on technical topics and spend days analyzing them. I love to understand the science behind a technical process and make it simple and interesting for my readers. 
3. Physical Research: I will go to places and see if I could incorporate them into my book. I would stand at a site and listen, try to understand the atmosphere, and what the place is saying to me. I am sure it has happened to you, when you enter a house, suddenly you don’t feel good. As if the place is not right for you. Visiting a place gives you a true understanding of the location. I recommend first take your pictures and then sit down, put your phone away and let the place speak to you. Here the footsteps on the concrete, or wooden floors. Here the shuffles and movements of people and things. You will get a whole new perspective of the place. 

You’ve mentioned that the Master series is based on 5 hidden animals of folklore and myth.  What was it about these particular mythological creatures that inspired you to use them as a catalyst to provoke new ways of thinking about the issues affecting our world? 

Great question. I started by focusing on issues that are affecting the world today, like hunger, disease, and poverty. My idea was, what if these issues could be solved by science. Based on that thinking the concept of using hidden animals was born.  

I started studying folklore and myth found in different cultures regarding different animals. I found a unique similarity in all the stories. All of these mythical animals have special capabilities.  That is when I asked the question, “What if we are able to find these mythical creatures and use their abilities to solve some of the greatest problems faced by humanity?” 

We humans are bound by physical limitations. What if these mythical creatures were able to remove some of these limitations?

1. We are time bound.
2. We are matter and space bound.
3. We are resource bound.
4. We are five senses bound.
5. We are monoverse bound.

The main idea of the five hidden animals in my books is to help humanity overcome these limitations. 

What do you hope readers take away from your work?

I hope my readers feel and wish the story were true. I have not written a fantasy book; the story is actually based on science and could really happen. My biggest hope is that readers understand that solutions to some of humanity’s biggest problems may lie in discovering new science. 

Can you explain how your publishing process may have differed from the “traditional” publishing experience?  What led you to choosing that particular path? 

My first book was published by John Wiley & Sons, and I had a really positive experience with them in 2010.

By 2020, my research showed me that the publishing industry has changed dramatically. The playing field for authors and content creators has been leveled, and there are incredible platforms for us to write good content and make it available for readers. I wanted to try indie publishing and understand its strengths and challenges. I am glad I went down the path, as this allowed me to meet some of the most creative designers, editors, and developmental experts in the field. I am having a great time with this project. I will always be open to traditional publishing, however this experience has taught me that I can now own the success of my books. 

I see that you have at least two more planned books in the Master series.  Can you give us any insight into your next release?

The next book is called Masters of the Vanishing Walls, and it will take place in Turkey, Syria, and the United States. There will be aspects of another hidden animal and more adventure for Paramarines. The expected release date is 2021 (I sincerely hope). 

The third book, Masters of the Falling Stardust, will be released in 2022.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? 

My biggest advice to writers is to understand the importance of the story they’re telling. Writers often get stuck in sentence formation, and they feel that every sentence they write has to be grammatically perfect. Readers are looking for a story that will transport them to a different world. Help them see a situation in a different way. Help them bond with a character. Finally put a smile on their face. 

Don’t try to make your writing perfect, instead, try to make your story as compelling as possible. You have been given a story, get it out of your mind and put it on paper. 

What part of the writing/publishing process did you find the most challenging?

I’m finding that the promotional part of the industry is new to me. There are so many marketing and publicity techniques that authors can use to promote their books, and I don’t have any prior experience in this part of the business. It is challenging yet very satisfying. 

You mention Star Trek in Masters of the Broken Watches. Are you a Trekkie?  Did that franchise first spark your interest in Science Fiction?

100%. The time particle called Divinio in my book was inspired by a Star Trek episode that I saw. In this episode, an alien race worked in pairs, and they were efficient and fast because they could read each other’s thoughts.

What is your favorite genre to read?

I love action-adventure and books related to mysticism. I also read a lot of nonfiction. 

How many drafts did you write before Masters of the Broken Watches was sent to print?

I had 6 drafts of Masters of the Broken Watches. I kept writing and rewriting. For me, the writing process is the best part, so I don’t mind writing the same situation multiple times. As this was my first fictional novel, I was unsure of what I was doing. I kept writing till I enjoyed reading it over and over again.

What do you do to overcome writer’s block?

I have developed a technique based on reading Thomas Edison’s biography. When he used to face an impossible problem, he would sit in the middle of his lab holding two metal balls between his hands. He would then close his eyes and try to doze off. As his hands would lose their grip on the balls, they would fall and make a large clanking sound. This would wake him up, and he would immediately write his thoughts on a piece of paper. 

The science behind this activity shows that when you are about to sleep, you get into a state called hypnagogia. This is when your mind fires off amazing ideas and thoughts. 

I call it active meditation, where I will think about a situation, close my eyes and let my mind wander. At first I thought it was all a fluke, however when I started practicing it, I was amazed at the dimensions of unique ideas that were created by the random firing of our neurons.  

What are some of your favorite pastimes or hobbies?

I love to travel with my wife, and we take a few trips every year. I also love spending time with my daughters and granddaughter. They are my heart and soul. 

If you could meet any one person (fictional or real, dead or alive), who would it be and why?

This is a hard question. I would love to meet my great great grandfather or grandmother four generations removed. I am fascinated by how genes travel through generations. It would be fascinating to see the similarities of our behaviors and habits.

Thank you to Razi Imam for taking the time to provide such thoughtful and insightful answers.

If you are an indie or self-published author that would like to be considered for an interview, please reach out via the form located on my Review Policy page.