LocalLit author spotlight: Ramesh Shah of St. Charles

LocalLit is a short story newsletter that connects local authors with local readers. The family-friendly newsletter kicked off in April.

Each week, a new short story by a local author is sent directly to subscribers' emails. Tuesday's featured short story is by Ramesh Shah of St. Charles.

Shah recently took a few minutes to speak via email with Herald-News features editor Denise M. Baran-Unland.

Baran-Unland: Tell us a bit about your writing background.

Shah: I am a scientist by profession. This is my first published memoir. I was fortunate enough to connect with my colleague, Richard Graves, for amazing help in getting this work done.

Mainly I wrote for my grandchildren, so they can understand their roots and what difficulties their forefather had to go through to fulfill the American dreams.

Baran-Unland: What types of stories do you like to write?

Shah: Travel stories.

Baran-Unland: Give a one-line summary about your featured short story.

Shah: It is a story of my life and the experiences while growing up in deep-rooted poverty in India as a young boy, and struggles in the new adopted land, America.

Baran-Unland: Have you published any books and/or are you working on one now?

Shah: [I've] published the memoir "Tomorrow Will be a Better Day," [and I'm] working on a travel log.

Baran-Unland: Where can people find more information about you?

Shah: Facebook. LinkedIn.

Editor's note: According to his biography, Shah has more than 25 years of experience in quality assurance and regulation of food and flavor manufacturing.

He is employed as a chief quality officer at FONA International in Geneva. He lives with his wife, Mina, in St. Charles.

Elements in "Tomorrow Will be a Better Day" include arranged marriages and a young man's wonder at experiencing, for the first time, spring mattresses, hot showers and fast-food restaurants, according to the book's description at Amazon.com.

KNOW MORE

Each week, LocalLit will deliver an original short and family-friendly story by a local author to the newsletter's subscribers.

Authors with a connection to the readership area can submit stories for consideration. Submission does not guarantee acceptance. Stories should be edited and between 1,000 and 7,500 words.

In addition, featured authors will be spotlighted in publications before the newsletter runs so readers have time to sign up.

Past LocalLit authors include Ken McGee of Plainfield, Norm Cowie of Chicago, Tom Hernandez of Plainfield, Vanessa Stephens of Joliet, Anne Anderson of Sandwich and Joshua Henderson of Joliet.

Other LocalLit authors include Peggy Lindstrom of Shorewood, Carolyn Hill of New Lenox, Kevin Trusty of Joliet, Sharon Houk of Joliet, James Guseman of Oswego and Allison Rios of Joliet.

More LocalLit authors include Colleen Robbins of Joliet, Diane Maciejewsk of Elgin Denise Issert of Wilmington, Bill McCormick of Chicago, J.Terence (the pen name of Joe Wengler) of Plainfield, Larry Zoeller of Downers Grove and Robert Hafey of Joliet.

To submit and for information, contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com.

To sign up for the LocalLit newsletter and read Shah's story on Tuesday, visit www.theherald-news.com/newsletter/locallit.

To read about other LocalLit authors, visit www.TheHerald-News.com.