I asked and he answered. A Q&A with Dr. Preetham Grandhi

before we start, i want you, the readers, to know that where you see text underscored, there are links to what Dr. Grandhi is referring to ...well, come on, i know you guys are a nosey as i am. i'm just saving you some time.

why did you decide to write a book?

One day I suddenly had a story in my head and decided to put it on paper. I had never done anything like this before. I always wanted to make movies but couldn't get to Hollywood. Hopefully now one day I can.

(i hope you get there too. this would be a good movie.)
why this book and where did the inspiration come from?

It was a few months post 9/11, and I was looking at the biographies of the people who had lost their lives. I began to wonder if there was a larger meaning to their lives. All of a sudden, a story flashed into my mind, and I quickly wrote it on a piece of paper. I knew then that I needed to write a story that was larger than life. It needed to communicate the essence that there is a bigger purpose and meaning to our passage on earth.

I knew that in order to capture and convey such a message, the book needed to be captivating, interesting, and thrilling. I realized that a story based on the work I do would be the right place to begin. I am a child psychiatrist and had just started a new job. During my fellowship, I worked with children with numerous psychosocial issues and had many life stories to tell. It was at that moment that I decided I could write a book that would capture all these thoughts. That was how A Circle of Souls was born.

what do you coworkers think of the book?

They all liked it and were very appreciative. The book is dedicated to the children and staff on the unit I work with.

is our doctor/hero based on you and your dealings with children?

Yes, it is. Everything about that is a part of a real experience in some way or another.

i have the feeling that your have an interest in folklore/legends. am
i right? if so, where does that come from?

I grew up in India reading a lot of folklore and the epics of Ramayana and the Mahabharata. There are great stories to read full of adventure and life lessons.

besides the story, is there a sub message you are trying to send? like

what children's units are like or how interagencies work or can work
together (like docs and cops) for the best of all concerned. or was
that just an added bonus i got?

I wanted to share with the world what it would be like to be a child psychiatrist and how the current field is, including all the benefits and pitfalls. There are hundreds of people out there who do such wonderful work with children and their families.

do you still work the ungodly hours described in the book? if so, i am
surprised you ever got the book out in 5 years!

No, I still work a lot but I go do bed early. No more night calls.

'bet the family is glad of that!

can you think of any question(s) i have not asked? and will you answer it/them?

This book will keep you on the edge until the very end and will leave you thinking about the larger sense of individual purpose and destiny.

Sandy, if you get a chance download Universal Sense the Blueprint for Success, I am sure you will like it. Its free.

words to a book lover with a small budget's heart. thank you, sir, for your time and what i can see will become a lengthening of my "to be read list."