Rati Mehrotra's Blog, page 3

Book updates and story news

Hellloooo! Just posting my latest writerly news. Two months shy of the release of Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove, I have two trade reviews, a lovely book animation, and pre-order campaign info to share. And two new story sales! Also some lovely seekrit things I can’t share yet.

The first trade review of my book is a great one from Kirkus. Quote:
Mehrotra smoothly incorporates worldbuilding into the atmospheric narrative, highlighting themes of family and justice with a timeless blend of ad...

Twitter Giveaway for Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove

Hello all! Popping in here briefly to say I am running a giveaway on Twitter for three signed copies of my beautiful ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) of Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove. The giveaway runs from 18-25 July, 2022. Winners announced on 26th!

Enter the giveaway here if you fancy an adventure set in an alternate medieval India with:
Monsters
Kissing
Banter
Betrayal

All you need is a Twitter and a Goodreads account!

Rules:
* Follow & Retweet
* Add to Goodreads
* Tag a friend for a bonu...

Frogs in Indian Folklore

I’ve been thinking about frogs lately. Why, you may ask? I just finished writing a short story that features a frog as an important character, and I did a bit of research into frog symbolism. I found some truly interesting amphibian facts.

Frogs function as ecological barometers. Their skin is permeable, making them especially vulnerable to environmental changes. The health of frogs thus reflects the health of the ecosystem. An abundance of healthy frogs means the ecosystem is healthy too.

Th...

My first ever Aurora Award nomination!

Popping in here briefly to say that my story Eighteen Days of Barbareek published in Uncanny Magazine Issue 39 has been nominated for the Aurora Award in the Best Short Story category. I’m over the moon! My first ever Aurora Award nomination, and it’s for a story of the Kurukshetra war from the POV of a severed head. You can see the entire ballot here. There are many writers whose work I admire on this ballot, and I’m so thrilled to be among them.

Huge thanks to Uncanny Magazine for publishing ...

ARC Unboxing & Writerly Update

News! I received the ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) of Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove. I got so excited when I received this mysterious box from an unknown sender, I made an ARC unboxing video. They are beautiful and I can’t wait for them to be in reader hands. There is a gorgeous map. With monsters! And a glossary at the end that was almost as much fun to write as the book itself. If you fancy reading a medieval Indian fantasy featuring a plucky guardswoman, a handsome monk, and an abundanc...

Cover Reveal: Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove

I am delighted to finally share the gorgeous cover of Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove, my YA Fantasy debut novel! It will be released on 18 October 2022 from Wednesday Books. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect cover to capture the world of my story! Do you fancy a medieval Indian fantasy featuring a sassy guardswoman, a handsome monk, and a plethora of monsters? You can preorder! Preorder links for the book are here. And you can add it to GoodReads here.

My deep gratitude to jacket d...

Reflections on long Covid, writing, and productivity

Ah, the dissonance of simultaneously feeling how is it only Monday of this week, and also how is it almost 2022 when I haven’t quite processed 2020 yet (yes I’m all about that meme).

It has not been an easy year for many of us, and I am aware and grateful for how much better off I am than most others. Yes, I have long Covid. Yes, new restrictions have just been passed because of Omnicron. Yes, I still don’t feel safe traveling. Yes, I live under an inept conservative provincial government that h...

Goodreads Giveaway for my book

Ahhh, the first Goodreads Giveaway for my book Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove has begun! If you fancy a “stunning and immersive novel set in an alternate medieval India infested with monsters, where a young guardswoman struggles with her unwitting role as a major pawn in the deadly games between two kingdoms” then you can go ahead and enter here. US-only, I’m afraid, but the next giveaway in November will include Canada, and I’ll do an international twitter giveaway in December.

This give...

My Favorite Asian Dramas

Last year, I blogged about The Untamed and how much I loved it. It got me through a very gloomy few months. And while this incredible drama remains my all-time favorite, I am happy to report that I have since discovered several more delightful shows to keep me going through the pandemic and my lingering Long Covid. Here are my top six! All are available on Netflix or Rakuten Viki. The subtitles are way better on Rakuten Viki because there are often notes explaining the cultural, historical, or l...

Black Wings, White Kheer

Story day! Very pleased to announce that my story Black Wings, White Kheer about magic, food, and family has been published at PodCastle, one of my favorite venues, and is now available to read or listen online. This is a story-of-my-heart featuring an immigrant woman (who is not only human), a magical recipe, a clueless husband, their sweet kids, a horrid monster, and…wings. Yes, there is a recipe for kheer, one of my beloved childhood desserts. Food often makes its way into my writing, but thi...