Preeti Shenoy's Blog, page 4

Welcome to my blog marathon! A new post every day.

 

 

Hello there!

How have you been?  I had started this blog in October in the year 2006.  This means my blog is 16 years and 7 months old! Isn't it fabulous that I have kept it going all these years? I think it is a commendable achievement, because most of the blogs that started when I had started blogging, have shut down. 

 For me, my blog is extremely special, as it was started  during a very difficult time in my life, a time of great grief, when there was absolutely no hope in sight. My blog has been a testament that no matter how hard the situation you're facing today is, over time it will ease.

 Over the years, as I evolved, my blog evolved with me. I don't run any ads on my blog nor do I do any paid endorsements here, as for me, its a very personal space, where I connect with my genuine readers. I know some of you have been following my blog for the last 16 years, which is commendable too. No matter for how many years you've been following, a big heartfelt thank-you for being here.

 For the ones who are joining me today, a big warm welcome. I hope you'll stay awhile and be a part of my journey. I promise it will be fun :) It will probably be a photo on some days, a poem on another day, some fun questions that I will answer, perhaps I might post a sketch I made--but you will get a new post daily.

One of the reasons I do a blog-marathon every year (a blog marathon means a new post every day for the next 30 days) is because apart from it being a challenge, it is a great way to build an engaged community. Therefore I would very much appreciate it if you leave me a comment after you read the post. (Else it gets a bit lonely and it feels like I am talking to myself!) If you are reading this in your inbox, do head over to my blog and leave me a comment.

Also if you would like me to write about any specific topic, please say so in my comment box.I shall try to write a post about it. I will also definitely be trying to reply  to each and every comment :)

See you tomorrow!

with Love
Preeti Shenoy 

 

 

ps: Check out my latest book A Place Called Home here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pic credit: Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

Five Most Interesting Things at a Book Event!

 

We've all experienced this. We scroll through social media and we come across a book event. The details are there in the invite, but we aren't sure about whether we can actually go in there. What happens at these book events? They look a little intimidating, especially if we have never attended one before. What if it's boring? What if someone asks us something and we don't know what to do? (*nervous chuckle*)

Before I wrote books, these were the questions which ran through my mind.  So I thought I'd write about the things to watch out for at a book event, and what actually happens in them. (Now that I have  written about 15 books have had over a hundred book even  in different countries, I've some insights to share to make your experience at a book event, a memorable one)

Typically book events are held at a bookstore. In foreign countries, the people who want to attend the event have to purchase tickets in advance. This helps the bookstore to cover costs. (like hiring chairs, serving refreshments , cost of setting up the stage etc).

In India these events are FREE. This is mainly because the publisher or the bookstore picks up the cost of this event.

On the day of the event, the author comes to the bookstore. The audience (you) is seated, The author is then introduced, and the person they are in conversation with is also introduced. After that it's like a 'talk show' where the moderator or the interviewer asks the author questions about the book, about their writing and so on. The conversation is free flowing.
Then the moderator opens up the floor to the audience for questions. The audience gets a chance to ask questions to the author.

After this the author signs the copies. These are usually copies purchased at the store. (Although I personally don't mind if you bring your old copies too. But please do buy at least one copy from the store, as you are then supporting your local bookstore)

So now that you know  what are the five most INTERESTING things about a book event?

1. You get to MEET the author:

For me this is the best part about a book event. The fact that I get to see the author in person. I remember attending a book event at a literary festival where I got a chance to listen to Amy Chua ( Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mom). I loved that I got to meet her.

2. You can get your copy PERSONALISED

I love having copies of books where the author has signed my name! How cool is that? At book events you can request the author to write your name, and you get to take home a personalised copy. Anyone can buy an unsigned copy. But a signed copy? Well, that's precious. And a personalized signed copy with your name? That's priceless! This is one of my signed copies.

 

3. You can ask 'behind the scenes' questions

It's hard to get a chance to meet an author , listen to them speak, and then get an opportunity to ask questions to them. If the conversation you've listened to hasn't covered something that is on your mind, you get to ask the author yourself!

 

4. You can get PHOTOS!

 Boasting rights! Who doesn't love them?  You can get photos with your favourite author. Not only is this a cherished memory, but it's also great material if you are on social media. Even if you aren't, it's lovely  to just keep the photo for yourself! It will make you smile many years later too :)

 

5. You can make NEW FRIENDS

This is a picture from the book launch I had at Delhi. I met many people who I only knew through their Instagram handle!
It was wonderful to meet them in person.

Many were familiar with each other , again through instagram handle, as we communicate a lot on Instagram. Example: I met  Siddarth from 'Sid Reviews'.

Meeting in person truly is joyful! It's a very different feeling altogether, and you meet 'your tribe'!

If you are in Bangalore tomorrow (27th August 2022, Saturday) then please do come over for my book event. Here's the invite:

I look forward to seeing you there!

Love
Preeti

All about the new book by Preeti Shenoy: A Place Called Home

 

Hello my blogger family!

Today, it's with great pleasure and excitement  that I am writing this post on the eve of the release of my new book A Place Called Home . It is a milestone of sorts, as my FIFTEENTH book will soon be out in the world!

I am totally in love with the world I created, and the characters. I'd like to introduce you to them.

The book has an unconventional protagonist, Alka. She is the daughter of a maid who has studied really hard to transform herself completely. Yet, she always feels like an outsider, because of the trauma she faced while she was growing up. She was made fun of, she never felt she fit in and a lot of nasty things happened to her. But hey–I am not giving any spoilers!

Alka is married to Subbu who owns a 400 acre coffee plantation.He was born and raised at a coffee estate. He is a fifth generation coffee grower. His great grandfather had bought the Plantation from the British in the 1800’s

As a boy he accompanied his father and grandfather everywhere, and learnt all about coffee cultivation.

Growing coffee is in his genes!

Then we have Krish, who is Subbu’s brother. He is very different from Subbu.He is extremely successful at his career. He is on the fast track to success, with his 22nd floor sea facing home at Bandra, Mumbai.

He is charming ,has a way with words and everyone thinks Krish is cool, and has it all figured out. He is the kind of a man who women are drawn to, like magnets.

But there’s something sad 😞 in his life. No matter how much he fights it he feels helpless.

Interesting people, aren’t they?

You can see more of their world in this book trailer:




Get to know their stories in my new book. If you have already placed an order for it, thank you! You will be receiving a limited edition signed copy.

If you haven’t yet got it, do use this link:
Preeti.io/home

 

  Today is the last day to get a limited edition signed copy!

Also a big thank you for all the support you've been rendering--I'm always grateful.

More soon!
Till then take care.

Love
Preeti Shenoy.

An evening to remember at Bookworm plus two unique reader stories

 

 Hello there!

How are you doing? Hope all is good in your corner of the world.

One of the things I'd wanted to do this year was to blog regularly, and so here I am with my updates for April.

I'd attended the Dehradun literature festival from 1st to 3rd April. It was a very grand event, and I met many of my readers and fans, and signed a lot of books. We  had a full house in the large auditorium that I am estimating, could easily seat 400 people.  I'd made a short reel with the highlights.

I am sharing it here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Preeti Shenoy (@preeti.shenoy)

 

Last Saturday, I had another event at Bookworm, Bangalore. It had been raining very heavily, and I did not  expect too many people to turn up, given that it is almost impossible to move around in Bangalore, during heavy rains.
Again, I was pleasantly surprised to see a full house.

I want to share two incidents from the event, which moved me a lot.

Before, the event began I was sitting at the back in the bookshop,  chatting with my  fellow author friend Kiran and my editor Deepthi, when a young girl walked up to me. Usually nobody does this before an event, as we've a lot of things to plan and talk about, before we go on stage. I never interact with readers before the event, as my mind is occupied with the event which is about to begin. After the event is done, I am relaxed, and then I pose for pictures and interact with my fans.

Hence, I was a little flummoxed when this girl walked up to me. She told me she was a huge fan and handed me some flowers she had got for me.  She said her friend is a Muslim girl and she wasn't allowed to come to the event. She took out her phone and asked if I could send her friend a voice note.

I was put on the spot. I don't even know who this friend is, and what I was supposed to say. I was going to refuse. But then I saw the girl who had requested it was almost in tears and her hands were trembling She was barely able to speak. Something made me ask her what her friend's name was--and I sent her friend a voice note, where I asked her to stay strong.

At the event, we spoke about many things like writing process, the role of literature in society etc. When someone from the audience said that television makes regressive 'saas-bahu' serials, I refuted it vehemently saying things are definitely changing with the advent of OTT platforms, especially Netflix and Prime.

Later, after the event, I got this message from this girl who had walked upto me. (I am sharing here with her permission)

After I read her message, I understood why it meant so much to her. I was so moved at the impact my words had on her and her friend Afsha. I was also glad that I spoke up about things changing for women in India. I sincerely hope Afsha is able to follow her dreams. Afsha later wrote to me telling me how much that voice note meant to her, and how it gave her a lot of courage and hope. She thanked me for being generous and kind.

Almost all readers who came that day told me that they felt their dream of meeting me had come true. It was very overwhelming to hear that. This true genuine love I receive from my readers and fans blows me away every single time.

Later I got this message from a another reader/fan. (sharing with permission)

I asked this reader to send me a picture of him, so I'd remember who he was. He sent this:

It was nice that he observed how I took the time to sign each book carefully, and that he saw a friend in me.

Every single day, I receive many such messages telling me about how my writing has impacted them, and what a difference it has made in their lives. I feel blessed to have such readers.

While I get messages all the time, what makes it truly  special is to meet all of you in person. 

Thank you all for this much love and support. Thank you for turning up in such large numbers for my events, to meet me.
It means a LOT to me! 

Much more than you'll ever know.

 

 

 

Lots of Love
Preeti Shenoy

 

Bangalore! Come and meet me on Saturday 16th April 2022!

 

 

 

Hello my fellow Bangloreans!

Yaggidiri? Channage idhira?

In case you don’t speak Kannada, that means ‘How are you? Are you doing good?’ :)  (Yes, I do speak Kannada and I did not use Google translate!)

I am writing this mail to invite you (and your friends and family) to a special event this Saturday, 16th April 2022 at 6.15 pm, at Bookworm on Church Street.

My good friend (and fellow author) Kiran Manral is in town for the weekend. We will be in conversation with each other about our books, writing processes and a lot more. This is an IN-PERSON event, and I am really looking forward to seeing you all. Now that things have started opening up, it is exciting to have physical events and support local bookstores.

I really hope you are able to join us.  Entry is free, and all are welcome.

Do block your diaries, and do come and join us on the 16th. Will be signing books, and of course we will click photos too. (what’s an event without boasting rights? :)

See you on the 16th!
Love
Preeti Shenoy.

See you soon! Last post of my blog marathon!

 Hello friends!

Thank you for being with me on this beautiful journey of 30 days! I got so used to seeing some names frequently in my comment box- Country Dew, Bev Skyes  Prathima,  Tarang Sinha Dave Thakur and of course Sourabh who did a comment marathon (he commented on every single post!).

In case you are wondering why some names are in colour and others are not, it is because they are bloggers and  I've linked to their blogs. Do check out their blogs too by clicking on their names.

I've really enjoyed blogging for 30 days now. While it will be VERY hard for me to blog every day because I have to take time off from my paid  writing assignments, ( My blog is a non-profit venture as I don't want to put any ads on my blog. )  I think we've managed to create a nice, supportive  community here and I'd like to keep that going.

So I thought I'd blog on Thursdays (Thursday Thirteen), Saturdays (Saturday 9) and Sunday (Sunday Stealing). I'll also ocassionally do a Wordless Wednesday.

I really hope I am able to keep that up! (I'll try to keep it up as much as I can)

As a parting post, here's my Saturday 9. (I couldn't leave without a proper post!)

The theme for Saturday 9 is the song
Beautiful Day (2000) by U2
(If you don't know the song, you can listen to it  here.)

1) This song is about finding joy in an imperfect world. What brings you joy today?

My morning walk brings me great joy. I've started jogging now--something I thought I'd never do!
Here's a picture I clicked this morning

2) The lyrics mention being stuck in traffic. A poll of Boston commuters revealed that drivers have a variety of responses to be stuck in traffic — everything from bored to impatient to angry. How do you feel when you’re stuck in a traffic jam?
I feel a little frustrated. But I  also quickly use that time to reply to comments on my Instagram !(no point in wasting time!)

 

3) This year Bono and his wife, Ali, celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Who is the longest-married couple you know? 

Haha--That would be me and Satish. Next month, we celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary.  (I'm not including my grandparents here as they've passed away. I also lost my father. )

4) When Bono inducted Frank Sinatra into the Grammy Hall of Fame, he complimented Frank on his “swagger.” Do you think you have “swagger?”

 

I like to think I'm a cool cat😜

5)When U2 guitarist The Edge did a charity concert at the Sistine Chapel, he became the first rocker to perform there. If you were to travel to Rome, what sites would you be certain to visit?

It would depend on how much time I spend there. I'd definitely want to go to Venice--a sketcher's paradise! I'd like to explore all the places which are described in The Thief Lord and The Venice Sketchbook.

6) This week’s song was chosen because St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, and U2 is one of Ireland’s most famous exports. What else is Ireland famous for?

In Bangalore we have The Irish House and I really enjoy dining there. For me when I think of Ireland, what comes to mind is the Irish authors I love-- Marian Keyes. Oscar Wilde, whose work I love is also Irish.

7) Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish. Is it a favorite of yours?
No way. I don't eat Beef. In India, most  Hindus don't eat Beef.

8) St. Patrick is credited with driving snakes out of Ireland. Ophiophobia is the fear of snakes. Do you suffer from ophiophobia?
Big time. I can't even bear to look at them on TV.

9) St. Patrick’s Day fantasy: A leprechaun will share his gold with you, but you must request a specific amount for a single item. How much would you ask for, and what would you buy?

I'd buy about a  ten thousand trillion airline miles on Emirates, so I can fly in business class to whichever place I choose, whenever I choose!

 

 

So bye for now friends! I shall take a week's break after 30 days of blogging..and will hopefully resume the week after.

Adieu and take care

Love
Preeti

My 13 top TV shows! (Thursday Thirteen)

 

Hello again!

It is Thursday, and therefore Thursday Thirteen it is! (Click on the link to know more)

Today I thought I'd made a list of my most memorable TV shows that I've watched over the years.

In no specific order, here goes :

1. Game of Thrones  (except for season 8, the last season which was disappointing)

2. Narcos.

3. Breaking Bad

4. Borgen  (danish)

5.It's okay not to be okay (Korean)

6. Hometown Cha Cha Cha (Korean )

7.Queer eye

8. Band of brothers 

9. Family Man

10. Kim's convenience

11. Schitt's creek

12. Crash landing on you (Korean show)

13. Rita (Danish TV show)

Also Call my Agent  ( French). There's an Indian remake of it, which I didn't like at all. The original one is exemplary.

I also really liked Made in heaven 

Which of these have you watched?

Tell me in comments.

Last post tomorrow!
 

Love

Preeti

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Photo by Dominik QN on Unsplash

 

Don't worry. It's okay to say no!

 

People keep taking from those who keep giving. This is a fact.

Whether it is that colleague who does all the extra work which everyone asks of them, or whether it is that adult child who does everything for their parents (while the other children do absolutely nothing) or whether it is one of the parents who does everything when it comes to taking care of the kids/home, the load is never 'equally shared'.

Often it is because, the person who does the extra work is extremely compassionate and caring. They also probably feel guilty to say no, and to stand up for themselves. Sometimes it is the circumstances  beyond their control which place them in that position.

Whatever it may be, if you are caught in this place, it is important to take care of yourself. It is important to do things that bring you joy. If you don't do it, you're headed towards a burnout.

There's a saying in Malayalam 'Karayunna kuttike paaalu ollu'.  Trnaslated into English, it means that only the baby that cries gets the milk.  No one thinks that it is 'selfish' to 'cry for the milk'.

The reason I used that analogy/proverb/metaphor is to remind people who keep giving, to pause and take stock. It's okay to refuse. It's okay to put your needs first. In fact, it is very important to.

Only then can you continue to care for others, without resentment and with joy.

New post tomorrow!
Till then, give yourself some love!
Preeti

__________________________________________

ps: This is post 28 of blog marathon.

Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

Prayers--Wordless Wednesday

 Today is Wednesday, and we're  wordless !

 (click on the word to know more)

I am praying for world peace. 

I clicked this picture of a mosque on the way to a temple.

 

And this is me at the temple. It is a temple built in the 11th Century, during the reign of Chola Kings.
I drew this visit in my illustrated journal too.

See you again tomorrow.
Love
preeti
_____________________

ps: this is post #27 of my blog marathon.

Today my thought is a dream (a magnetic poem)

 
Hi again!

I had a wonderful session a little while ago, with aspiring writers. I'm pleased because the questions were great, and just now, I got a mail from them with some fantastic feedback saying that the community loved my session, and many bloggers are going to write posts about the key takeaways. I'm glad I could help!

In case anyone wishes to learn Creative writing , I do teach a course at Skillshare which is a video based course called 'Fundamentals of Creative Writing' which you can do at your own pace.

Click  HERE for the link.

 

For today's post, I thought I'd do a  magnetic poem.
It's a fun site, where you can create anything with word magnets. (click on the link if you want to create your own poetry too)

Here's what I made:

 

I love trying such new things :)
I hope you enjoy it too.

See you again tomorrow!
Love

 Preeti

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Ps: This is post #26 of my blog marathon.

Photo by 𝓞𝓬𝓽𝓪𝓿𝓲𝓸 𝓕𝓸𝓼𝓼𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓲 on Unsplash