Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's Blog, page 10

Happy Birthday, Shadowland: Thinking Back to the Beginning

Excitement! Excitement! My new children's fantasy novel, Shadowland, came out today! (For a description and excerpt, see www.chitradivakaruni.com). It is a stand alone book, but it's also the final novel in the Brotherhood of the Conch trilogy, a project I began in 2002--a long haul. I want to share with you a bit of the story of how all this came to be.

At that time I'd been writing for several years and had already published Arranged Marriage, Mistress of Spices, Sister of My Heart, Vine of ...

Happy Birthday, Shadowland: Thinking Back to the Beginning

Excitement! Excitement! My new children's fantasy novel, Shadowland, came out today! (For a description and excerpt, see www.chitradivakaruni.com). It is a stand alone book, but it's also the final novel in the Brotherhood of the Conch trilogy, a project I began in 2002--a long haul. I want to share with you a bit of the story of how all this came to be.

At that time I'd been writing for several years and had already published Arranged Marriage, Mistress of Spices, Sister of My Heart, Vine of Des

To Trail or Not to Trail

Some days back, Katherine Center, a writer friend, sent me the link to a book trailer she had created for her new novel, Everyone is Beautiful: http://katherinecenter.wordpress.com/..., and of course, when I saw it, I wanted one, too--for both Palace of Illusions and for my new children's fantasy novel,  to be born in a week: Shadowland.

I wanted to find out what's involved, time, effort and money wise, and so I (what else!) googled the term and came up

To Trail or Not to Trail

Some days back, Katherine Center, a writer friend, sent me the link to a book trailer she had created for her new novel, Everyone is Beautiful: http://katherinecenter.wordpress.com/..., and of course, when I saw it, I wanted one, too--for both Palace of Illusions and for my new children's fantasy novel,  to be born in a week: Shadowland.

I wanted to find out what's involved, time, effort and money wise, and so I (what else!) googled the term and came up

I, Googlophile. Or: Yes, There Still Are Free Lunches

Recently I was at the Google headquarters at Mountain View to give an Authors@Google talk (now up on You Tube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPbSw5Yo2TA)--and I have to say, I was quite charmed. The "campus" is appropriately named. Watching numerous blue-jeaned young men and women ride their bikes (provided by Google) from one building to another, or pause their day's work to play a game of chess or frisbee, or walk their dogs (Google allows employees to bring pets to work; how cool is that?...

I, Googlophile. Or: Yes, There Still Are Free Lunches

Recently I was at the Google headquarters at Mountain View to give an Authors@Google talk (now up on You Tube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPbSw5Yo2TA)--and I have to say, I was quite charmed. The "campus" is appropriately named. Watching numerous blue-jeaned young men and women ride their bikes (provided by Google) from one building to another, or pause their day's work to play a game of chess or frisbee, or walk their dogs (Google allows employees to bring pets to work; how cool is that?) t

Our Amazing Indies

As some of you know, I was recently in Northern California as part of my paperback book tour for Palace of Illusions.  I didn't have much time between an afternoon event at Authors on Google and a reading at Bookshop Santa Cruz (a great, rambling independent store I want to just live in every time I visit it). But I made it a point to stop by at some of my favorite independent bookstores along the way, such as Keplers in Menlo Park, Books Inc. in Mountain View and Capitola Book Cafe, to sign boo

Our Amazing Indies

As some of you know, I was recently in Northern California as part of my paperback book tour for Palace of Illusions.  I didn't have much time between an afternoon event at Authors on Google and a reading at Bookshop Santa Cruz (a great, rambling independent store I want to just live in every time I visit it). But I made it a point to stop by at some of my favorite independent bookstores along the way, such as Keplers in Menlo Park, Books Inc. in Mountain View and Capitola Book Cafe, to sign boo

Mango Memories

Okay, here's the mango ice cream recipe that Karen had asked for. My children love this recipe, and as you'll see, it's amazingly easy.
Karen mentioned that she owns a mango farm, so I'm going to give you two versions of this recipe.
Take a half gallon of your favorite vanilla ice cream and leave it out on the kitchen counter until it softens.
Take six ripe mangoes, peel, seed, chop, and blend. When the mangoes are pureed, fold them into the ice cream. Pour into a plastic container with a tight-...

Mango Memories

Okay, here's the mango ice cream recipe that Karen had asked for. My children love this recipe, and as you'll see, it's amazingly easy.
Karen mentioned that she owns a mango farm, so I'm going to give you two versions of this recipe.
Take a half gallon of your favorite vanilla ice cream and leave it out on the kitchen counter until it softens.
Take six ripe mangoes, peel, seed, chop, and blend. When the mangoes are pureed, fold them into the ice cream. Pour into a plastic container with a tight-fit