Raji Lukkoor's Blog, page 5
March 18, 2012
I Won the Versatile Blogger Award!
A big thank you to Random Interruptions for nominating my blog for The Versatile Blogger Award. Such a privilege. Thanks, Heather!
Basically, the Versatile Blogger Award is a way to introduce bloggers to each other and to promote quality blogs that the awardees and their readers might not have discovered otherwise.
If you're nominated, you've been awarded the Versatile Blogger Award. Here are the instructions for the lucky recipients:
1. Nominate 15 fellow bloggers for the Versatile Blogger...
March 14, 2012
From Condemned to Redeemed
Book Review -- Letters from the Dhamma BrothersA room full of vicious animals or a room full of deranged, hardened convicts--I don't know which is a more fitting description of hell. In 2002, three brave individuals descended at Donaldson Correctional Facility--a maximum security prison in Alabama--with one goal: to teach violent inmates the ancient, non-violent technique of vipassana meditation in the tradition of S. N. Goenka. They sat in stillness with the prisoners all day, slept in the...
March 12, 2012
Beck Valley Books Reviews "Inner Pilgrimage"
Beck Valley Books of the UK says...
I have often watched documentaries on retreats with the secret yearning of wanting to attend one of these myself one day. They show you the difficulties people have to overcome and the unbelievable transformations of peoples lives that can take place, it is simply amazing.
What you don't actually think about is what it is really like to participate on such a retreat for the whole period, spending every minute there, on the personal journey you have to travel...
I have often watched documentaries on retreats with the secret yearning of wanting to attend one of these myself one day. They show you the difficulties people have to overcome and the unbelievable transformations of peoples lives that can take place, it is simply amazing.What you don't actually think about is what it is really like to participate on such a retreat for the whole period, spending every minute there, on the personal journey you have to travel...
March 8, 2012
13 Reasons Why I Love Being a Woman
It's our day, sisters. Happy International Women's Day!
I thought today might be a good day to start a new series--the"13" series. So, here goes. The top thirteen reasons why I love being awoman:
13. I'm hip, smart, suave, curvy, cool, funny, bitchy, and sexy
12. I'm my man's ego
11. I can yell, laugh, and cry in the same breath
10. The world is always curious about me
9. I love my skirts, dresses, and gowns, but I also love "wearing thepants"
8. (Switching gears...) Promoting and encouraging...
I thought today might be a good day to start a new series--the"13" series. So, here goes. The top thirteen reasons why I love being awoman:
13. I'm hip, smart, suave, curvy, cool, funny, bitchy, and sexy
12. I'm my man's ego
11. I can yell, laugh, and cry in the same breath
10. The world is always curious about me
9. I love my skirts, dresses, and gowns, but I also love "wearing thepants"
8. (Switching gears...) Promoting and encouraging...
March 1, 2012
The Pre-publishing Checklist
Anaspiring author must prepare three things prior to establishing contact withpublishers: identify the relevant genre publishers, organize collecteddata, and craft a solid book proposal.
Identify Relevant Genre Publishers
Identifyingpublishers for any particular genre is pretty straightforward. For example, asearch for books in your genre at an online bookstore such as amazon.com is aneffective use of time as it can help generate a long list of publisher names. Specificsubject, topic, and...
February 27, 2012
February 16, 2012
Is "Convenience" a Measure of Fulfillment?
Who doesn't suffer from the modern human affliction called "convenience?" It's a hard reality that can't be ignored. I'm guilty of it too.Personal computers, mobile devices, 24/7 cable television, vehicles,appliances, air conditioning, power tools, online banking, frozen meals, papertowels, antibacterial soap, the works! One-click phone calls, flip-switchcontrols, junk food drive-thrus, instant movie watching.The Upside?
Life overall is more efficient and pleasurable. We canschedule tasks...
February 13, 2012
The Girl Next Door - An American Muslim
I had the pleasure of meeting author Sumbul Ali-Karmali at Silicon Valley Reads' annual event yesterday. Hosted by the Indian Business and Professional Women's group (IBPW) at the India Community Center (ICC) in Milpitas, CA, this annual event drew over 40 attendees.Sumbul discussed her nationally-acclaimed and Independent Publishing Book award winning title, "The Muslim Next Door: the Qur'an, the Media, and that Veil Thing." I have not read her book yet, but I did purchase an autographed...
February 6, 2012
Why Aren't You Published Yet?
"Iam pleased to confirm the publication of your book." A trip to space would havebeen less euphoric than the rush of emotions those words—that my would-bepublisher conveyed in a single-line email confirmation—triggered in me. Infact, I'm still trying to absorb the fact that I am now a published author.Istarted exploring publishing options for my spiritual memoir in January 2010. Justseven months into the process, I struck publishing gold…like they say. Ninemonths thereafter, my book was in...
