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THE SARI SHOP WIDOW
BY SHOBHAN BANTWAL
Pungent curry, sweet fried onions, incense, colorful beads, and lush fabrics – THE SARI SHOP WIDOW is a novel set on the streets of Edison, New Jersey’s Little India, where a young businesswoman rediscovers the magic of love and family.
When Anjali Kapadia’s posh sari boutique in New Jersey is on the verge of financial ruin, her wealthy uncle from India comes to her rescue.
But the wily, dictatorial uncle arrives with some unpleasant surprises—a young Indo-British partner named Rishi Shah for one — and a startling secret that disturbs Anjali.
Falling in love with the mysterious Shah only adds to Anjali’s burgeoning list of complications. Torn between her loyalty to her family and her business on the one hand and her growing attraction for a man who could never fit into her life on the other, Anjali turns to her family and cultural roots to make a life-altering decision.
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Shobhan's articles and short stories have appeared in a variety of publications including The Writer magazine, Romantic Times, India Abroad, Little India, U.S. 1, India Currents, and New Woman. Her short stories have won honors and awards in fiction contests sponsored by Writer's Digest, New York Stories and New Woman magazines. To read her short stories, articles, favorite recipes, and more, go to her website: www.shobhanbantwal.com
AUTHOR INTERVIEW:
Welcome to BOOKIN' WITH BINGO and thank you for a lovely book and for agreeing to do this interview. Here are a few questions my readers might be interested in.
- What have you just finished reading?
I just finished reading Mary Monroe’s “God Ain’t Blind,” a tender and funny story that is part of a series which has made the New York Times bestselling list.
- What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out?
Khaled Hosseini’s debut novel “The Kite Runner” made a tremendous impression on me. I was just beginning to write full-length fiction when I read his touching story of friendship and betrayal intricately woven around the Russian occupation of Afghanistan and later followed by the repressive Taliban regime. In fact, the book made such an impact on me that when I started querying agents, I queried Hosseini’s, and to my great delight she signed me on. Now an associate agent at that agency handles my contracts and has successfully sold four of my books to Kensington Publishing.
- What gets you started on a new book? A character or story idea or….?
For me a new book always starts with a germ of an idea. Once that gels in my mind, I start to create the characters and mold them to that plot. My own Indian culture provides plenty of fodder for story ideas.
- What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don’t know?
Despite my old-fashioned Hindu upbringing in small-town India and my 35-year-old arranged marriage, I’m a rebel and feminist at heart. As a child growing up with four sisters, I was the only hellion amongst the little angels. As a grownup I’m still doing things my way. Going against the stereotypical South Asian writer who writes serious literary novels of high intellectual merit, I took the gamble of writing mainstream fiction with romantic elements. I also took up creative writing in my middle age, and as a challenging hobby at first. Later my ambitions grew and I seriously pursued becoming a published author.
- What is your best advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?
My best advice would be to understand that there is a lot more to writing than creating a compelling story. Promoting one’s book requires a strong commitment in terms of time, money, and effort. I am beginning to realize that aspect of being an author more and more each day. Also, as someone who puts their work out there for public consumption, one needs to grow a skin as thick as an alligator’s hide. Agents and editors can be brutally honest. Reviewers can at times be harshly critical, and one has to take all that in stride and still keep going. But if writing is what a young or novice writer wants to do, I would tell them to keep doing it and stay with it.
- What is something you would like to share with us about writing your favorite genre in general?
It has been a unique journey to getting published. I always wanted to read the kind of books I craft, so I began to write what I knew and what I would enjoy. My books don’t belong in any particular genre. They could be labeled mainstream, popular fiction, multicultural women’s fiction, romance, sometimes bordering on mystery, and perhaps even a touch of the literary. But creating them is very gratifying.
Thank you so much for interviewing me on “Bookin’ with Bingo.”
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Thanks to Jaime and
PUMP UP YOUR BOOK VIRTUAL TOUR,
I have one copy of this book to give away.
RULES:
--SORRY, U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P.O. BOXES PLEASE
--YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS MUST BE IN YOUR COMMENT
--ALL ANSWERS IN SEPARATE COMMENTS OR
THEY ONLY COUNT ONE TIME
HOW TO ENTER:
This time is easy!
+2 BONUS ENTRIES: ALSO AT THE SAME WEBSITE, FIND THE RECIPE SECTION. PICK ONE RECIPE AND GIVE THE TITLE AND NAME THE INGREDIENTS! AMOUNTS AREN'T IMPORTANT, JUST WHAT GOES INTO THE RECIPE.
ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE BY
6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 9
GOOD LUCK!
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48 comments:
Please enter me for this one!
fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com
+1 Book review from author website: Book Illuminations
fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com
+2 Website recipe:
Kheema Palak
1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1/4 tsp crushed fennel seeds
1 tsp each grated fresh ginger & garlic
1 small onion, minced
1 tsp each ground coriander and cumin
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
2 tbsps veg or corn oil
1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red hot chili powder (adjust to taste)
2 tbsps tomato paste
fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com
Please count me in for this great sounding book!
Book Reporter is one of the organizations that has reviewed it.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com
+2 Boy, those recipes all looked very good and interesting. I thought the dressing recipe was interesting, because of the cucumber. Here it is!
Cucumber Raita (yogurt dressing)
1 medium cucumber peeled and grated
1 cup plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt, beaten to smooth consistency
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsps fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
Small piece of finely chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 tsp salt
Thanks.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com
Huntress Reviews reviewed the book! bekki1820cb@gmail.com
entry1
Cucumber Raita (yogurt dressing)
1 medium cucumber
1 cup plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt
1 small onion
2 tbsps fresh cilantro
jalapeno pepper
1 tsp salt
I would love to try this out at home. I am so glad this was an extra entry! bekki1820cb@gmail.com
entry2
entry1
Cucumber Raita (yogurt dressing)
1 medium cucumber
1 cup plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt
1 small onion
2 tbsps fresh cilantro
jalapeno pepper
1 tsp salt
I would love to try this out at home. I am so glad this was an extra entry! bekki1820cb@gmail.com
Please enter me for this one.
Fresh Fiction gave a review, or commented on the book.
Dutchlvr1(at)aol(dot)com
Ms. Bantwal's book was reviewed by Book Illuminations.
Please enter me in the giveaway.
wolfcarol451(at)gmail(dot)com
Mango Lassie uses plain lowfat or nonfat yogurt, water, canned mango pulp, sugar, and salt. Sounds tasty!
wolfcarol451(at)gmail(dot)com
Book Pleasures wrote one of the reviews.
jgbeads(at)gmail(dot)com
Poori (Deep-fried puffed bread)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsps vegetable or corn oil
Water
Vegetable or corn oil
Flour for dusting
Yum! Fried bread :)
jgbeads(at)gmail(dot)com
This sounds like an interesting book to learn more about another culture for me.
anjamie4 (at) gmail (dot) com
there was a book review by Book Illuminations among others
anjamie4 (at) gmail (dot) com
there were several but I chose the cucumber raita dressing.
It had in it:
cucumber,plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt, onion, fresh cilantro, jalapeno pepper and salt
anjamie4 (at) gmail (dot) com
Thank you, Bingo, for hosting me on your wonderful and popular blog.
Good luck to the winner of my book and hope she/he enjoys it.
Shobhan Bantwal
Author of THE SARI SHOP WIDOW
wwww.shobhanbantwal.com
Book Illuminations reviewed this.
seknobloch(at)gmail(dot)com
+1 one of the book reviews was
Book Pleasures
Jolynn_Reads atyahoo.com
+2 Mango Lassie Drink
yogurt, water , canned mango,sugar,
salt if needed
Jolynn_Reads at yahoo.com
"Book Pleasures" said the book was highly entertaining and informative. I would like to read it!
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com
I too found the recipe for "Mango Lassi" interesting. Ingredients are yogurt, water, mango pulp, sugar and salt. I think I would like this with strawberries, one of the fruit alternatives mentioned in the recipe.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com
Huntress Reviews reviewed this book.
Please enter me in this giveaway!
saemmerson at yahoo dot com
Sarah Emmerson
Recipe ingredients from the author's website:
Carrots & Peas Pulao (Pilaf)
1 cup Basmati or any long grain rice
2 small cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup peeled and julienned carrots
2 cloves
1/2 cup frozen or fresh green peas 1 clove garlic, minced
1 hot green chili pepper, sliced (optional)
2 cups boiling water
1/4 inch piece ginger, minced
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsps butter
Salt to taste
saemmerson at yahoo dot com
Sarah Emmerson
Please enter me...Thanks!
libneas[at]aol[dot]com
Harriet Klausner was one of the reviewers.
Thanks
libneas[at]aol[dot]com
Cucumber Raita
1 medium cucumber peeled and grated
1 cup plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt, beaten to smooth consistency
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsps fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
Small piece of finely chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 tsp salt
Thanks for the giveaway.
libneas[at]aol[dot]com
Fresh Fiction says:
"I gladly recommend THE SARI SHOP WIDOW, an endearing story of romance between two people from different cultures who regain their faith in the possibility of lifelong love."
bookcat1010 at gmail dot com
This sounds delicious!
Cucumber Raita
cucumber
plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt
onion
fresh cilantro
jalapeno pepper
salt
entry 1 of 2
bookcat1010 at gmail dot com
Cucumber Raita
cucumber
plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt
onion
fresh cilantro
jalapeno pepper
salt
entry 2 of 2
bookcat1010 at gmail dot com
Book Reporter wrote a review.
bgcchs9at)yahoo(dot)com
+2 - Cucumber Raita- Cucumber, yogurt, onion, cilantro, pepper and salt. It sounds great. I'm going to make it.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
please enter me for this one!
dancealert at aol dot com
I follow through google reader!
dancealert at aol dot com
Book Illuminations
copperllama at yahoo dot com
For +1 entry:
Huntress Reviews is one reviewer in the list.
Kimm
oregonkimm(at)gmail(dot)com
For +2 entries:
Ingredients in recipe for Poori:
Whole Wheat Flour
Vegetable Oil
Salt
Water
More Flour
Kimm
oregonkimm(at)gmail(dot)com
I'm definitely going to try the Mango Lassi -it's easy enough to remember: 1 cup low fat yogurt-1 cup fruit such as mango or strawberries then add 2 cups water, ice if you like, sugar if desired and a pinch of salt - if you really must.
Sounds good : D
BevE
merryweatherbookblog (at)gmail(dot)com
There were a number of reviews - two of them were written by Book Pleasures and Fresh Fiction.
BevE
merryweatherbookblog (at)gmail(dot)com
There's a review by Harriet Klausner
nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com
I like the Mango Cream with Fruit
2 cups mixed fresh fruit, diced or 1 large can fruit cocktail (drained)
1 cup sweetened mango pulp (available in Indian stores)
1 banana, diced (only with canned fruit)
1 apple, diced (only with canned fruit)
1 8 oz container whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com
Please enter me.
thank you
kaiminani@gmail.com
Book Reporter
thank you
kaiminani@gmail.com
Fresh Fiction wrote a review
Thanks ~ megalon22{at}yahoo{dot}com
+2 - Recipe
Cucumber Raita (yogurt dressing)
cucumber peeled and grated
plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt, beaten to smooth consistency
onion, finely chopped
fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
finely chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 tsp salt
megalon22{at}yahoo{dot}com
Fresh Fiction reviewed this book
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
Mango Lassi
1 cup plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt
2 cups water
1 cup canned mango pulp ( sold in Indian & Oriental stores)
Sugar if needed
Pinch of salt
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
#1
Mango Lassi
1 cup plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt
2 cups water
1 cup canned mango pulp ( sold in Indian & Oriental stores)
Sugar if needed
Pinch of salt
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
#2
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