Indie Support Sunday: Malika D
- Jun 7
- 8 min read
Malika D., like a lot of authors I’ve spoken with recently, was bitten by the author bug during the pandemic. Her reasons were more about the lack of representation in medical dramas, but it still pushed her to write her first romance featuring an immigrant female physician that she posted to Wattpad. PS. She’s currently rewriting this and I’m so intrigued about the premise of the story!
Closed door romances are her preference, but she will read anything. And if you think romance is where it begins and ends with Malika, she says that she might be interested in one day diving into a mystery/thriller. Unlike me, Malika doesn’t put too much of herself into characters or stories, unless they’re medically-related, of course.
She currently has a completed duology and a short story available in Kindle Unlimited.
BEING AN AUTHOR
Who or what inspired you to write?
It was during COVID, and I remember the exact moment when I decided to write my first actual story. I had recently discovered that there were free websites where people could publish their stories, and was watching an episode of Chicago Med. It struck me that much like Grey's Anatomy, this show had a diverse cast, but seriously lacked representation of 25% of America’s physician population: foreign medical graduates, like me. Thus came my very first story on Wattpad, which was a medical romance featuring an immigrant female physician.
What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author?
The best is that you get to do what you want, irrespective of what the popular genres are, or what ‘industry standards’ dictate. The worst is that many readers still look at indie books as second tier to traditionally published books. And for those indie authors who write in more niche genres, I think that can be really detrimental.
Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?
Honestly, I didn’t want to wait or conform to the industry standards. My first self-published book was a romantic suspense/family-saga with four main characters, written in first person POV, that is 550 or so pages. In order for me to chase an agent, I would have had to make substantial changes to the structure of the book and in the process lose its basic essence. As someone for whom writing is a second job, I didn’t want to spend the extra time and still face rejection.
When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?
Reading a variety of genres. Or just daydreaming about my own story.
If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?
From my recent reads the top ones would be: All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker, No Honor by Awais Khan, Beach Read by Emily Henry, Dublin Sisters series (ongoing) by Hayat Khan, Ten Hours to Forever by Sha Bee and The Resident Murder by Jessi Kroft. The last three are indie.
What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?
Write the book you want to read.
But also be realistic about the popularity of your genre of interest
If your dream is to be trad published, learn about the industry and what its expectations are before you start writing
Never skip hiring an editor
Please, please, please, stay away from AI. Having AI write your story is the worst thing you can do to yourself as an author.
ROMANCE AS A GENRE
Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?
I’m a bit of a dreamer at heart so I think anything with romance is a natural fit. My favourite thing is that in the end, by default, everything works out. Is it delusional? Maybe. But how the characters get to that satisfying end is where so many real world lessons can be learned.
If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?
Probably upmarket fiction and mystery/thriller.
What are your most and least favorite tropes?
Anything that results in intelligent banter between the characters: academic rivals, enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, workplace romance etc.
Least: not sure what trope this is, but the ruthless MMC and sweet, innocent FMC stories are my least favorite.
What are some tropes you want to write in the future?
Academic rivals, Grumpy FMC/Sunshine MMC
What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?
Mental health awareness, especially for the MMCs. I really wish the disturbed, grumpy MMCs would seek therapy along with falling in love with a sweet and kind FMC who magically fixes everything (and vice versa). I also think there needs to be better representation of disabilities (showing that people with disabilities are very capable of leading full and happy lives). And a more realistic portrayal of wealth. How many billionaires are there in real life that haven’t gamed the system in some way?
If you write closed door romance, why did you choose that and what are your favorite ways to build tension between the characters?
Just not my style. If I tried to write open door, I’d probably fail miserably anyway. And as a principle I am strongly in team spice-is-not-romance. Though I do read and support everything.
There are so many ways to build tension otherwise. Unfinished sentences, stolen glances, fleeting touch, a whisper. The character noticing physical attributes without saying a word is classic. A simple handshake can be made into a tension filled scene if you do a good job describing what the character feels inwardly.
YOUR BOOKS
What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?
In a sentence, my inspiration came from powerful men that treat the rest of us as pawns in their own games. I don’t have to take names, but there are enough examples around us, and in every country, of billionaires who traffic young women (or take your pick of other heinous crimes) while giving money to philanthropy and politicians who hide their crimes because exposing the billionaires exposes them.
Can you briefly tell me about your books?
Shadows of Innocence—the first book in The Shadows duology—is a romantic suspense/family-saga about four main characters.
Two decades after her family's empire was stolen by her uncle, the orphaned Kiran Tariq is still fighting to reclaim what rightfully belongs to her and her siblings. But when her younger brother, Osman, falls in love with Sanam Uzair, the heiress of a powerful political family, their lives become pawns in a ruthless political game to conceal an old crime. Meanwhile, their uncle has raised his own son, Zain Ghazanfar, to become ruthless like him. But when Zain decides to follow his heart, he becomes the failure whose conscience needs to be eliminated. Set across Pakistan and the United States, this is a story of a sister's unyielding strength, a cousin ensnared by his father's ambitions, and two young hearts whose destinies become painfully entwined.
Entangled Shadows—the second in the duology—is also a romantic suspense and centers around two characters.
Ameerah Sheikh had been the trusted friend who had always chosen hope, until her dead brother's name surfaces in a criminal investigation and her trust in everyone shatters. Zain Ghazanfar, who has fallen far from grace had nearly given up on life, until a woman whose superpower is optimism walked into his life. Falling for each other came easily to them. But believing that they were worthy of love, is where their courage was born. Set in Pakistan, this is a story of redemption, family loyalty, and whether the past can ever truly be left behind.
Somewhere Along the Road is a short story about four strangers forced to share a car when their flight is canceled.
Hammad is racing toward a wedding he isn’t sure he wants. Ayesha is running from a marriage she isn’t sure she can save. And Zafar and Saleha are each reluctantly following paths their families have chosen for them. But when strangers are confined to a rental car, driving through dusty towns and lush green fields halfway across Pakistan, truths begin to surface. Unexpected bonds form, old wounds open up, and love blooms at the most inopportune times.
Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?
The one I respect the most is Osman Tariq. Unproblematic MMCs who do everything right and still lose in love (before they win again) are underrepresented in romance, in my opinion.
But the one that I enjoyed writing the most, would have to be Zain Ghazanfar. There is a reason he is the main character in two books! With him, I was able to explore both the making of a villain and a redemption arc that includes self-awareness, therapy, and suffering the consequences of his actions.
If you were to cast your book for a movie/television show, who would you cast in the lead roles?
Kiran Tariq: Sanam Saeed
Osman Tariq: Bilal Abbas Khan
Sanam Uzair: Hania Aamir
Zain Ghazanfar: Emin Günenç (Turkish actor)
Ameerah Sheikh: Iqra Aziz
How much of yourself do you put into these characters?
Haha… as the eldest sister, just know that when you read a character who takes on more than they have time for and is the responsible adult in any situation, that's probably based on my own life. The medical scenes in my books are definitely based on my life as a physician.
Though I do like to think that Ameerah Sheikh is my alter ego. I’m only as sassy as her in my dreams.
What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?
Stories about the underdog. The people who are misunderstood. Those who have to work through life and obstacles to become something.
Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?
Readers say that they all feel very real. And maybe that’s because the main characters in my books are all ordinary people. Even when they are rich, they are relatable. Like an editor said, “they’re the kind of people you could meet in a grocery store.”
What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?
I’m re-writing the medical romance I wrote years ago. It’s a story about a female immigrant trainee physician who is navigating her new life in the US, fighting the workplace prejudices against her, while also trying to hang on to her roots. What she hadn’t planned on was having a senior resident who is a US born Pakistani-American, hates his parents’ culture, and tries his best to uphold the prejudices he carries against Pakistanis, even as the new intern challenges him at every corner.
I’m hoping to explore the themes of immigrant and first-gen identities, parental expectations (and when that borders on abuse), and the lives of immigrant trainee physicians who are often in the country without any support systems while working impossibly long hours in medical residencies. And of course, underlying it all is a love that blossoms reluctantly as layers are peeled off and both characters realize that some bonds can’t be broken, no matter how hard you try.
When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?
I just want them to feel something. It doesn't matter to me whether it's happiness, or sadness, or hope. Ideally it's a mix of everything that you’d feel in real life.
To me, the most powerful thing a piece of writing can do is for a reader to have to pause and think about what they’ve just read. Or to continue thinking about the story after the book has ended. If I can do that, my job is done.
AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks
Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense
Single or Dual POV
Standalones, series or standalones in a series
Open door, ajar door or closed door romances
Music or silence when writing
Plotter, pantser or plantser
Water, tea, coffee or….wine?
Cold or warm weather
Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?
Illustrated or photo cover?
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