Vote for Me

Good news guys. Remember when I told all of you that I was nominated in the efestival of words virtual book fair?

Well now The Bollywood Breakup Agency is in the list of finalists. So I would really appreciate those who enjoyed the book to vote for me.

Here are the details of how to vote

and

Here is where to vote.

So if you enjoyed the book, or know someone that did, please vote for me.

And finally, here is my lovely nomination seal:

A Walk in the Park

Last week we had some beautiful summery weather, and luckily for me I had a week off work so that I could spend some time with writing and getting reacquainted with my city. On the sunniest day, I took a walk in Holland Park.

I had never been there before and I made the mistake of entering Holland Park through the tube station of the same name (it seemed logical at the time) and ended up walking through and getting lost in some empty woodland where I feeling extremely anxious because I saw nobody for miles. But once I actually found the nicer part of the park, it was worth it. So now I will be sharing some photos with you all. I may not know what all parts of the park are, but I hope you enjoy the pictures all the same.

This section was a beautiful area with a fountain on one side and a mural across a wall on the other, which was just too big to take a photo of.

I came back later on to find people sunbathing nearby (who needs a beach anyway?)

Giant chess board. I watched as two families' kids decided to play chess and their parents helped them to set up the board only to have the whole thing demolished by a third child.









 

The Kyoto Garden where I just sat and got lost listening to the waterfall in the background. There is a sign that asks people to respect the area and use it for contemplation. Even if you planned to be a bit of a tourist and take photos, you find yourself just drawn to the benches and relaxing. And below is another photo from the garden.

So there was my day out in the sun. I didn't even have the opportunity to look at the whole park, but that's one of the things I love about London - somewhere inside all the hustle and bustle we have areas like this.

After that I went to Oxford Street for a bit of shopping where I walked past someone who looked a lot like a member of the Royal family (What would the real one be doing shopping on Oxford Street?). Not one of the next few in line to the throne, but it was still quite weird.

An update on the eFestival of Words nomination: First, thank you for the support, and secondly, the finalists will be announced on the 1st July - not June like I had initially said.

Arranged Marriages - Trying to Keep a Straight Face

It's been a while since I did a post on my experiences with arranged marriages. It's not that there hasn't been material. I just haven't had the chance to sit down and write about it. Until now.

Quite recently we were out at a function when we came across some old friends of the family. Being the polite and pleasant person I am, I stood for a while and had a chat. That was where the other person in the conversation decided to drop hints about their nephew. They managed to bring into the conversation (in several different places) the person's age, his job, where he lives, his property situation (owns his own home!), and that he makes good money.

When conversations like this occur, it is important to try and keep a straight face for as long as possible. This is especially true in cases like mine where I am not on the lookout for a husband just yet. As soon as you show the slightest bit of interest - a raised eyebrow, a nod, an "Oh really?", you are passed a telephone number in your hand before you have had the chance to change the conversation topic. These things are delicate matters, and this is just another way to deal with them.

Nominated!

Some good, and frankly unexpected, news guys ...

I found out The Bollywood Breakup Agency was nominated in the eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook awards. The nomination was in the best General/Mainstream fiction category, which was a big surprise for me. So, many thanks to whoever voted for me  =)

The next step is for the festival organisers to go through all the nominees and narrow it down to the finalists (June 1st), and then people can begin voting.

Fingers crossed!

Dinner on the Southbank

Well well well, Spring/Summer is finally here in London. The sun is out, there are no clouds in the sky, people are lazing about on whatever green space they can find and the ice cream vans are permanently parked out for whoever wants one. I love London in the sun, everyone is just so much happier. This is a great thing when you have such a crappy week at work.

Last weekend I had dinner on the Southbank. My favourite part was walking across the bridge from Embankment station to the restaurant. It was such a beautiful night. Even though it was forecasted to be cold, you really couldn't feel it. You pass buskers who, when they play their violins or guitars into the night, really add to the atmosphere of the evening.

And then you look across to the left and you see this ...

Isn't it beautiful?

Ok the photo may be a little fuzzy, but you get my drift.

And I shall leave you with that. How are you all?

New Year Celebrations

No this isn't a really belated post.

Last weekend I was in Trafalgar Square watching the Chinese New Year celebrations - music, singing, and of course the lion and dragon dancing.

And, in true London style, it was freezing and pouring down with rain. But in between the rain and the crowds all carrying umbrellas (some of which blocked your view of the entire stage) I managed to take some photos. So enjoy.

 Trafalgar Square, complete with stage, clouds, and umbrellas

The Lion and the Dragon after the dotting of the eyes

The Lion dancing. It was done by two brothers from China who hold the record for doing this at great heights.

The Lion in mid flight.







Chinatown decorated with lanterns. You could hardly move through that part of London. It was so crowded and every restaurant had a queue coming out of it.

One of the many dragons dotted around London. It was also one of the few times that such a crowded part of London had become pedestrianised. The reason: there was a parade in the morning!







And by the end of the day, my feet were so cold that I couldn't feel them anymore. But that is the London way; if you can't hack the cold and the rain you won't be able to do anything.

So, for all of those who celebrated: Happy Chinese New Year!

My 'Writer-Brain' is back

I am quite sure that this morning I woke up from a dream of a scene that I have not yet written.

In my dream I saw my characters, I was walking around a scene and narrating it in my mind. After such a long time of brain drain from such a mind numbing job, things are looking up.

In fact, today I had such a nothing day at work and for half of the day I was alone in the office with absolutely nothing to do. This afternoon I must have written about a thousand words of rough notes.

Tomorrow I will be ready to spend my morning writing.

Have you ever had a dream of your WiP?

Hello fellow bloggers ...

... Even though my blog posts have been really few and far between as of late. I am still trying to do this balancing act of working, writing and blogging. Sadly the blogging took a back seat, even though many things happen in life that I want to blog about.

Currently I am working in a job that drains me of whatever energy I have. And what sucks the most is that I found out the person I have replaced left the job because she went on to write full time! And I don't even work in publishing. If I did then it would make sense, but in this case it's just an annoying coincidence.

I really want to make the effort to do some blogging. I ended up lagging behind on the blog world by the end of last year. I want to make the effort to catch up with you, and all the fantastic things you get up to. Wishing you luck with your edits, wishing you luck when your book comes out and celebrating with you when you do well in sales. And I need your help as well when I go through the same thing. I am a little behind schedule, but don't worry Book 2 is on its way, just a little patience is appreciated.

Anyhow I hope that you are well. Fill me in. How are all of you doing, in both of your writing and your personal life? Sometime this week I will drop in and comment on your blogs. I want to at least blog once a week just to keep up with you guys.

All the best   =)