Changes

First of all, thank you for your nice comments in my previous post.

In my day life, I have been trying to find somewhere new to work. I hate my job, it drains my brain, has no hope for the future and I work in close quarters with some awful people. I am now travelling into Central London for interviews, because currently I work semi-locally. This means dealing with the toxic environment of public transport in the winter. And as much as I love London in the summer, most of it gets undone in the winter.

Those packed carriages and everyone has the sniffles, cold or full blown flu? It's like walking through the disease. People with runny noses who are sniffing it up or just wiping it with their hands. And then they touch the handrails? It's disgusting. It is a result of that stupid attitude that some people have that a cold is not a reason enough to stay at home. You should stay at home. At 5foot1 I have an ant's eye view of whats going on in their upper-respiratory regions. It's vile. And by travelling in the rush hour, or a compact space where diseases can spread easily, you are making it worse because then it gets passed on to everyone else. My immune system is bad enough as it is without having to catch your infections. Then they go to work and use their diseased hands on their computer where it festers underneath the keyboard. It doesn't help anyone.

And those jobs I interviewed for? Nothing, which makes my horrible job even worse. I was even shortlisted for a job but then lost it because I couldn't get the day off to go for the interview. Very annoying.

Anyway, I have now been given a deadline for book two. I have a lot to do and not a lot of time in which to do it. Don't worry reader, this deadline is pretty cool and has nothing to do with the following:
1) An impending arranged marriage
2) Disease

So now, I have to tolerate everything on the work front and use the next few months to write until my hands fall off. I was up at 5:30 this morning writing. I need to remember the advice given by so many other authors: just write and the rest will follow - it will get better after the editing process. I should just ignore all of those voices in my head that ask me 'who will read this?'.

On a completely different note, when we haven't been stuck indoors trying to avoid those awful storms (really scary that a building collapsed in High Holborn this weekend), I was out and about in Covent Garden about two weeks ago because I really needed the day out. And what do I come across? A street performer being sandwiched in between two beds of nails.

Happy January

I hope all of you had a great end of 2013 and beginning of 2014.

Yes I do understand that we are almost into February but since this is my first post in such a long time, the greeting sounded better in my head.

It's been a long time since I wrote on this blog, and with people asking (not always nicely) about book 2, I thought it would be best to provide you with an explanation. I'll keep it short. There was a passing in my family of someone who was very important to me; the person who made me want to write in the first place. I don't want to go into too much detail. My publisher has been really understanding this whole time.

Now, I feel a lot better. I remembered that I have been given this wonderful opportunity, and I should use it. It may not be my day job, and I can't afford to move away for a few months to focus on my writing, but it's not all bad writing part time. I just have a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time in which to do it.

This is belated but ... I wish you all a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.

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   =)

Forgive me blogger friends ...

... for my lack of posting as of late.

Recently, I have a new job (yay!) but bad news is that I have been unable to sit at my computer and write up blog posts, because I am trying to catch up on all the book-writing that I would have done during the week when I used to work part time.  Even on the weekend, I haven't had the chance to sit at my computer for that long. Over the summer I had wedding after wedding, and functions, and parties.

It doesn't mean I haven't thought about my writing friends. Something would happen and I would think to myself ... Ooh I must blog about that. Sadly I just haven't had a chance to. Or I wonder what you guys are up to.

While it is great that one part of my life is going well, I miss you guys. I miss interacting with all my writer buddies, reading about your writing journeys and feeling the ... empathy between us as we discuss our writing insecurities and problems; no matter how big or small we were all there for each other. I would love to sit through and read through as much of your blogs as I can over the next few weekends - even if that means waking up at 5:30 in the morning on a day that most people would have a lie in.

So, writer friends with full time jobs. How do you keep your two lives going? Any advice for someone trying to juggle writing and working at the same time?

Summertime: Southbank!

Well Summer time is finally here I think.

That is, until the rain starts pouring down and we all forget what the sunshine looks like.

As any British person will know, when the sun comes out you do everything you can to enjoy it because you never know when the weather will be like that again. So here are some photos from when I spent some time by the Southbank.

View from the Bridge (whoops, I forget which one)

Sitting on the deckchair outside of the Forbes bookstore eating an ice cream and reading my kindle in the sun.

People painting flags on the ground

The London Aquarium, I recommend a visit

Overlooking the Southbank from the Westminster Bridge








We may not get a lot of sun over here in the UK, but when we do have it, it's great. Look at that beautiful blue sky.

Wedding Season is upon us

Hello fair readers,

Wedding season is upon us. We have had three invitations through the post so far, and are aware of four others that are going to take place later on in the year. I said this last year, when I was young I had been to more weddings in one year than some of my friends had been to in their lifetime. Over the bank holiday weekend we had an engagement to go to (although I had a prior commitment to another family member on the other side so some of us went to one thing, while the others went to the engagement ceremony - sometimes you do get double booked).

Weddings make your family think about your life, as well as using the occasion to scout for other prospective brides and grooms for people. There are some people that we know back in India that have asked us to find someone for their family members. When you are next in line, which thankfully I am not, people do ask when your wedding will be. Even though you may not feel that you are ready to be wed yet, Indian families seem to think that everything should happen in some kind of order. If you have ten cousins, and you are the fourth eldest, you have to be the fourth person to get married otherwise there must be something wrong with you. If you are from a family from arranged marriages - which, once again, thankfully I am not - then some people are so silly that they will not attempt to find a partner for the fifth in line unless number four gets married. There is such a pressure to tie the knot these days.

Luckily, and I say this after my arranged marriage post some while ago, I am not from a family that will pressure me to get married until I am absolutely ready. They had a love marriage so I will never be made to go down the arranged part. My parents know that I am not in the right situation in my life, therefore my marriage will have to take a back seat until I am ready, settled, and able to support myself so I do not have to rely on another person.

As I said, wedding season is upon us, so get ready for a series of posts detailing wedding ceremonies.

Good day to you all!

Missing the Sunshine

It's raining, it's pouring, and it's been raining for weeks.
So to bring a smile to your (and my) face, I bring you another picture post from when we actually had nice weather earlier this year. When it was 20+ degrees, I went for a walk around Kensington Gardens and took a lot of pictures

Remember when it was spring?

The Albert Memorial right opposite the Royal Albert Hall

Kensington Palace, before it re-opened

Walking around the park

 Daffodils! The sign that spring is was here!

 The Round Pond, where you can find swans

 The Serpentine Bridge

 The Italian Fountains

Looking out from the fountains








One thing that I love about London is that I will always stumble upon something I have never seen before. I had never seen the Italian fountains, in fact I didn't even know they existed, and while walking around Kensington there they were. I spent about an hour sitting on the benches and watched the world go by.

Notice the blue sky in those pictures? I haven't seen blue skies in weeks.

How about you? Have you stumbled across a part of your town you didn't know existed?

Deja Vu

When I was writing book one, I had to deal with builders in our house building a loft conversion. This time during book two, I have to deal with the next door neighbours' builders knocking, sawing, and sanding away in the part of the house that is right next to my bedroom. Every time I feel ready to write something, noise comes in from next door that breaks my concentration and annoys the heck out of me.

So tell me readers, what do I do to not feel so distracted while I am trying to write?

I am asking for ways not to feel mentally distracted. I do not like to move my laptop away from my current location so going out to a cafe is not an option for me right now. What works for you?



p.s. I plan on spending tomorrow morning commenting on all of your blogs.