Author Luke Gracias A Story-Teller With Many Feathers In His Hat

Author Luke Gracias- A Story Teller With Many Feathers In His Hat

Author Luke Gracias - Interviewed by Samata Dey Bose
Luke Gracias is one such name, of the writing community whose writing impressed me from the very first book I read penned by him. Yes, it was The Devil’s Prayer and the writing was so good that it kept me hooked till the end. Well, it’s my second interaction with the author, and so I decided to share his journey and his new book with my readers through this interview. Join me to know author Luke Gracias.

1. Fortunate to have with us author Luke Gracias today on my platform Indiacafe24. Will request you Sir, to say a few words about you and your journey in the industry.

In 2007, I started a film production company called Instinct India. Instinct India line-produced the Australian shoot of “Singh is Kinng”. The film became the largest Bollywood box office hit of 2008. I decided to learn the art of story-telling and undertook a number of courses in creative writing and film production. In 2014, I developed ‘The Devil’s Prayer’ as a film script. In 2016, I converted the script into my debut novel.
Instinct India - IndiaCafe24

2. Will you mind giving a brief about The Devil’s Prayer for book lovers who missed reading this book?

The Devil’s Prayer is a story about the heinous betrayal of a single mother Denise Russo which leaves her as a quadriplegic who cannot speak. The greatest fear a woman has is that she cannot protect her own child. One night, Denise prays to God to protect her only child Siobhan and the Devil answers her prayers. He offers Denise a deal.
The Devil's Prayer _ India

3. We last talked about your book The Devil’s Prayer. How did it manage to win the hearts of readers? I indeed loved the book when I read it in 2016, but what about others?

The Devil’s Prayer is ‘chic flic horror’.  It is very different from most horror books where the fear is kinetic but in this book the fear is potential. It winds up the reader with the injustice faced by the protagonist. The Devil’s Prayer won the hearts of readers because they saw their own struggles in those of the protagonist. Struggles they are forced to bear for a variety of reasons such as putting up with injustice in a job to feed their children or out of unconditional love. When Denise finally gets revenge, the reader is there rooting for her to be as brutal as she possibly can.
National Library of Sweden - IndiaCafe24

4. No Shadow Without Light By Luke Gracias is the sequel to The Devil’s Prayer….. Did you plan for it when completing the first book?

I knew there had to be a sequel as the first book ends in a cliff-hanger. I had planned for a sequel, but I did not know what it would be.

5. How did you decide what will be the plot for No Shadow Without Light?

The Devil’s Prayer ends with a fight set up between two siblings, one on the side of God and the other representing the Devil. The story of ‘No Shadow without Light’ is a Cain v Abel story.

Read the review of No Shadow Without Light: Click

I travelled Europe looking for unexplained locations such as the headless mural in the Amalfi Cathedral and the strange tunnels of the Templars of Tomar, Portugal. I threaded together a story to connect these previously unconnected dots into a  credible tale. Woven in the interlay was the dire environmental crisis which we as a race face today.
Shadow Without Light - IndiaCafe24

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6. What do you feel makes No Shadow Without Light appealing to readers?

Everybody loves a conspiracy. Every religion believes in the coming of Judgement Day. An end that has been signposted by monuments, historical texts and events. When will it happen and what can you do to prevent it? No Shadow without Light is about the conspiracy of humans and the role they play in bringing about the apocalypse.
Interviewed by Samata Dey

7. Many don’t know that you are a filmmaker. Has your Film knowledge helped you to turn your books more interesting?

Like in film, you need to take the viewer into the world you see and let them live your story.
When I write, I get into character like any actor would. I feel the fear, the joy, the loss of each person as I write how they would perceive the world to be. As I do not have the visual media in a book, I try to describe in vivid detail what the character would see through their eyes.

8. After noticing the success of The Devil’s Prayer, what is your prediction for No Shadow Without Light?

I wrote ‘No Shadow without Light’ because it is a story which must be told. It is a story about the survival of the human race. Survival is the strongest human instinct. If enough people pick it up, the word will spread and it will be a success.

9. I am aware you love photography, cricket, Playing Piano…. but has anything more added to your list of passions in the last few years?

My greatest passion is the Environment. I have recently been working with developing environmental technologies which will help mitigate climate change. Since the Devil’s Prayer, I have tried to learn German and I am currently interested in learning how to shoot in 3D Virtual Reality.
Author Luke Gracias

10. Will there be a third book in this series or; will we get to see some new genre from your writing desk?

I am not sure if there will be a third book in the series. I have another film script which was crafted as a Romantic Comedy, set in Bombay in the early 80’s. I am considering converting this into a novel.

11. What are the dreams that you still wish to achieve?

I want my books made into a TV series. I think the amazing locations and back- stories of each of the historical events would be so much more, if seen on a big screen.

12. What is unique in Author Luke Gracias?

I wish I knew.