Anoop Judge’s
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR
OF
Mercy and Grace
Mercy and Grace: A Novel
Book Summary
At twenty-one years old, Gia Kumari finally leaves the Delhi orphanage where she was raised. With few prospects for the future, she receives an unexpected invitation from a stranger named Sonia Shah, in San Francisco: an internship at Sonia’s weddings and event company. Jia and America. It’s love at first sight as she navigates an unfamiliar but irresistible new world of firsts.
It’s Gia’s first real job: her first meeting with her only known family, her uncle Mohammed Khan, and her first romance, with Sonia’s quirky yet charming stepson, Adi. But it might be too good to be true. Gia’s newfound happiness is unfolding in the shadow of a terrible family secret, the impact of which is still being felt in a place Gia now calls home. To save what matters most, Gia must come to terms with a tragic past she’s only beginning to understand—and a lifetime of lies she must learn to forgive.
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (September 19, 2023)
ISBN-10: 1662509219
ISBN-13: 978-1662509216
ASIN: B0BQNBFVBR
Print Length: 283 pages
Purchase a copy of Mercy and Grace on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.
The Journey from Litigator to Writer: A Personal Story
Why did you transition from the law to a creative field in media and writing?
I went to law school in New Delhi, India, where I wrote for a university paper (which was my first foray into writing, besides keeping a daily journal titled “Dear Diary” [yes, for real!]). After my husband and I moved to the United States I got my J.D. and became a litigator. While I loved being a litigator and going to trials in court the law is, as they say, a jealous mistress. Burnout is part of the profession. I thrived in the work and the glamour that comes with it but I was also raising a young family. My daughter had an auto-immune deficiency and needed me. After seven years of practicing law, I decided to take a step back. It was around this time that the idea of writing a novel came to me. The kinds of novels I like to read, which is in the genre of Book Club Fiction.
Can you speak a little bit about burnout as a lawyer and what ultimately prompted you to leave?
I don’t think anyone will be surprised by this but almost all the women I know who were my colleagues, have left litigation and moved on to second careers. It’s not true of my male colleagues in the same way, so I think there is something to be said about how women experience burnout in the law. I was working on a major case in Sacramento, an hour away from where I live. I was commuting over two hours a day with a young child and a baby at home. There were often major cases that required inter-city or inter-state travel, long hours, and late nights. When it became too much, I worked part-time for a while in a smaller office and with smaller cases but when my child’s health came to a head, I had to leave. I had been feeling burnt out for a long time but that was the final push. I have so many anecdotes throughout my career of women who wanted to move out of the law and we weren’t talking about burnout the way were are now.
Writing a book and getting signed by an agent is one of the hardest parts of being an author. Did you know what you were getting into?
I had always had a dream to write a novel and I promised myself that I would do it. Ten years ago, I self-published a book called The Rummy Club, but I was too new and too raw. At that time, my goal was simply to finish the book. I did send the manuscript to a few agents but like with anything you learn as you go. Over the years, I’ve grown as a writer and have gained valuable insights into the publishing industry. It’s been a challenging journey, but one that has been incredibly rewarding.
What’s the biggest factor in getting your manuscript published?
The quality of the writing is paramount. I had a couple of agents look at my first book and turn it down because the writing wasn’t quite there, or the plot had a sagging middle. I think there is a common misconception that all you need is a massive social media platform to become a published novelist. That’s simply not true. Having a large social media presence helps and I would say you need to beef up your presence, especially on Twitter because agents will look at that, but it cannot substitute for good writing. If you don’t have a good book that agents can sell, you’re not going to have a career as a writer. So keep writing and keep querying. There is no magic formula. The other piece to this is that often people start querying agents they know of, whose work they have been following, or bigger publishers. But so many smaller indie publishers are looking for unique work. I advise that you look at publishers and agents whose work matches your own. Look at the books they have sold and their current clients to get a gauge of what they like.
Excerpted, in part from the interview titled “Riding a Second Wave as a Successful Author with Anoop Judge’ by Poorva Misra-Miller (March 2021)
About the Author
Born and raised in New Delhi, Anoop is the author of four novels, THE RUMMY CLUB which won the 2015 Beverly Hills Book Award, THE AWAKENING OF MEENA RAWAT, an excerpt of which was nominated for the 2019 Pushcart Prize, NO ORDINARY THURSDAY, and MERCY and GRACE.
Her essays and short stories have appeared in Green Hills Literary Lantern, Rigorous Journal, Lumiere Review, DoubleBack Review, and the Ornament anthology, among others.
Anoop calls herself a “recovering litigator” —she worked in state and federal courts for many years before she replaced legal briefs with fictional tales. She holds an MFA from St. Mary’s College of California and was the recipient of the 2021 Advisory Board Award and the 2023 Alumni Scholarship.
She lives in Pleasanton, California, with her husband, and is the mother of two admirable young adults.
You can find her online at:
Website: https://anoopjudge.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judgeanoop/?hl=en
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoop-ahuja-judge-94396743/
Blog Tour Calendar
February 12th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of Anoop Judge’s book Mercy and Grace. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of her book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
February 13th @ Rockin Book Reviews
Visit Lu Ann’s blog for her review of Mercy and Grace. You can also win a copy of the book.
https://www.rockinbookreviews.com/
February 15th @ The Shaggy Shepherd
Visit Isabelle’s blog for a guest post by Anoop about creating compelling characters.
https://theshaggyshepherd.wordpress.com/
February 16th @ What is That Book About
Join Michelle for her spotlight of Mercy and Grace.
https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/
February 17th @ Silver’s Review
Visit Elizabeth’s blog for her spotlight of Mercy and Grace.
http://silversolara.blogspot.com/
February 19th @ A Wonderful World of Books
Visit Joy’s blog for a guest post by Anoop Judge about Indian wedding traditions.
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
February 21st @ Jill Sheets’ blog
Visit Jill’s blog for an interview with author Anoop Judge.
https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/
February 22nd @ Knotty Needle
Check out Judy’s blog for her review of Mercy and Grace.
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/
February 25th @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie’s blog for a guest post by Anoop Judge about her journey from litigator to writer.
February 27th @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews & Interviews
Join Lisa for her interview with Anoop Judge about her writing journey.
https://lisahaselton.com/blog/
February 29th @ The Faerie Review
Join Lily for her spotlight of Mercy and Grace.
https://www.thefaeriereview.com
March 1st @ World of My Imagination
Join Nicole for her book review of Mercy and Grace.
https://worldofmyimagination.com
March 3rd @ Boots, Shoes, and Fashion
Join Linda for her in-depth interview with Anoop Judge about her book Mercy and Grace.
https://bootsshoesandfashion.com/
March 4th @ One Writer’s Journey
Visit Sue’s blog for her review of Mercy and Grace by Anoop Judge.
March 5th @ Word Magic
Join Fiona’s blog for a guest post by Anoop Judge about managing the call with a literary agent.
https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/
March 7th @ A Storybook World
Join Deirdra for her spotlight of Mercy and Grace.
https://www.astorybookworld.com/
March 10th @ Michelle Cornish’ blog
Visit Michelle’s blog for her review of Mercy and Grace.
https://michellecornishauthor.com/blog/book-reviews
March 12th @ Plain Spoken Pen
Join Lisa for her review of Mercy and Grace.
https://theplainspokenpen.com/
March 13th @ Sara Trimble’s blog
Join Sara for her review of Mercy and Grace. You also have the chance to win a copy of the book too!
https://saratrimble.wordpress.com/
March 15th @ Choices
Visit Madeline’s blog for a guest post by Anoop Judge about writing your way through grief.
https://www.madelinesharples.com/
March 17th @ Boys’ Moms Reads
Visit Karen’s blog for her review of Mercy and Grace by Anoop Judge.
https://karensiddall.wordpress.com/
March 17th @ Nikki’s Book Reviews
Visit Nikki’s blog for a review of Mercy and Grace.
https://nikkitsbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Hadn’t heard of this book before. Thanks for sharing.
hena recently posted…Recent Reads