Preeti Shenoy's blog.

This is the last post of the blog marathon!  I have been  blogging every single day,  the whole of this month :) Look at the picture above. That's how I feel right now :)

All of you readers have been really supportive--and big thanks to all of you for that!

A special mention to

Thought is Free

Shally

Femina

and

Dave Thakur

 for leaving comments on almost ALL the posts!






I shall blog again very soon! There's something I have been working hard on. (related to writing but not a book..Guess what it is?) Watch this space!

Today---just a photo for you.

This picture was clicked a little while ago. I posted it on my Instagram  with the caption:
Hang on to everything that makes you feel good ! Hold tight and do not let go. Especially true friendships. <3 I am blessed to have some great friends in my life, and that reflects in all my books, all my writing. My novels are mostly heart-warming and always look at the bright side of life.

But what a lot of people do not know is that I write very dark short stories.


One of my short stories has just released.
You can get it here:  http://amzn.to/2osqRam

(It's not an e-book..It is a short story and it is available only on Kindle. You can download the Kindle app if you do not own a Kindle)

That's all for today.
New post tomorrow.
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 Buy my books: http://preeti.io/amazon

This is a poem I wrote many years back. I wanted to share it today.



Why did you leave?

The last song is yet to be sung,
The last bell is yet to be rung.
The last book is yet to be read,
The last word is yet to be said.

The last bow is yet to be taken.
The last Martini is yet to be shaken.
The last note is yet to be played,
The last etching is yet to fade.

Why then did you leave?
Why did you choose to walk away?
Leaving me to waltz the last dance
And face the music alone.
Couldn’t you stay?

© Preeti Shenoy
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© 2018 Preeti ShenoyFor more poems click here. Some poems have already appeared in print. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.Buy my books: http://preeti.io/amazon © 2018 Preeti ShenoyPhoto by Nitish Meena on Unsplash

This morning I woke up to the news of the legendary Sridevi, being no more at 54. I have grown up watching her movies. She is a tremendously talented actor.

I have been reading so many write-ups about her. There are whatsapp forwards, blog posts, news reports, status updates and so much more.

What I do not understand is how people comment on her personal life. They have watched her movies, or met her at an event, or know her through 'friends of friends' etc. They talk about how she 'tried to hold on to her beauty', how she went under the scalpel, how she was stressed etc etc.
Everything about her is open game --no matter what the truth is.

I am saddened reading these discussions.

I lost my father to a cardiac arrest. He was healthy,  fit as a fiddle, had none of the age related ailments and looked so much younger for his years. He had twice the energy of someone half his age. Even on the day he passed away, he had gone for his usual 6 km walk. He was just 66.  It was…

For today's post, I thought I would share these questions, which I get asked over and over!


1.What is the inspiration behind your books? Each book is inspired by a different thing. In Secret Wish list, I explore the concept of whether wishes can come true just by writing them down and doing nothing about it. In Its All In the Planets, I explore ‘Fate versus Destiny’. Each chapter starts with an astrological prediction, and by the end of the chapter, you get to know whether the prediction came true or not. Why We Love The Way We Do is a non-fiction book about relationships, which are again adapted from my newspaper columns in the Financial Chronicle. Each of my nine books, have different inspirations.  But the common inspiration is life itself and the complicated nature of human relationships.

2.Tell us one thing that no one else knows about you That I am an artist, a yogi, a traveller, an avid urban farmer and I grow my own vegetables; Also I played national level basketball at school.…

Be that man Who looks his woman in the eye when he gets home And says ‘You look beautiful, darling.’ And means it. Because this thing you have going is Sacred
Be that man Who offers his woman a back rub, a glass of wine Or coffee Or simply some time and space Where she can be herself. Because this thing you have going is Sacred

Be that man Who doesn’t make jokes about his woman, behind her back Because she is too precious, too dear Some things you do not joke about Because this thing you have going is Sacred.
Be that man Who would drop everything in a jiffy to be beside her Not because she cannot manage But because you know how much she hates to do it all by herself Tell her she is strong and brave, And hold her hand Because this thing you have going is Sacred ______________________ **************© 2018 Preeti ShenoyFor more poems click here. Some poems have already appeared in print. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.Buy my books: http://preeti.io/amazon

Amongst the thousands of posts flooding the social media, a very catchy GIF caught my eye. I shouldn’t have clicked on it but I did and then I got sucked into that black hole of the Internet, where time and you both disappear, only to emerge many hours later, to discover that absolutely no work has been done and your brain now filled with useless information like who vacationed where, and what the Biriyani tasted like at someone’s wedding, and the picture which someone’s child drew. But, the saving grace was that this GIF that I clicked on was not entirely useless. It talked about saving a marriage.
It told us the story of a couple that had been married for long, who were now fighting, all the time. There was a lot of negativity between them. The wife criticized anything that the husband did or said. Anything that the wife said, the husband pounced on her. The relationship had soured to an extent where itshowed no signs of improving. After months of this domestic war, the man got tired…

Today I went to the Amazon offices in Bangalore, as they had invited me for a lovely event called 'Fishbowl.'  It is open only to Amazon Employees.
We had a lovely session!
I had a full house and it was a superb audience interaction, where I answered many questions about my writing process like how I research, how to plot, Is there a writer's block and many more.

I totally enjoyed myself, and from the feedback I received, so did everyone who attended.
Here are a few pictures from toda










With the Amazon Communications team.
Of course we had to click the mandatory selfies after the event.


A section of the audience


After the event, just before I left.

Thank you Amazon India, for having me over. Thank you for the wonderful gift too.
(They gave me an Echo Dot  and I am truly in love with Alexa now!)

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buy my books: http://preeti.io/amazon

Most of you who read this blog regularly know that I was interviewed by BBC, on television as well as on radio. It was a half an hour in depth sit-down interview.
It was telecast many times, the world over. (The reach is an astonishing 400 million in over 200 countries)
 (click on link to know more and see telecast timings)

For those of you in UK, you can catch it on the iplayer. here's the link:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09jl6lx/talking-books-preeti-shenoy


I got many emails after it was telecast in the UK and also many tweets.

Since the tweets are in the public domain, I am sharing a few tweets that particularly struck a chord:







I was delighted with these and hence wanted to share it with you, my dear readers, as all of you have been very supportive throughout my writing journey.
That's it for today folks.
Meet me here again tomorrow!
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buy my books: http://preeti.io/amazon

I am delirious with joy as I type this, as I have broken a record which I had set in 2012.
The highest number of words I had written in a day was 7256.
Today, I broke that record. I have just finished writing 8252 words of my tenth novel, plus about 750 words for another piece, making it a new record! I had begun writing at 7.30 am this morning, and I am calling it a day now.
Tired, exhausted, exhilarated and oh-so- contented. Those are the rewards, when you push all your limits.
Tomorrow, I go back and do it again :)
To understand what this means to me, do read the piece which I had written in 2012, and which is also on my website.

Click HEREto be taken to my website, to read On Writing.

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Buy my books: http://preeti.io/amazon

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

Bow-wow, a 30-year-old rapper and actor became the butt of ridicule on social media  for posting a photo on his Instagram account, where he said he was boarding a private jet at Atlanta.Bow-wow, whose real name is Shad Moss frequently, posts pictures of his lavish lifestyle. He is very successful in his music career, having sold more than ten million albums. He has a massive online following of more than 3.4 million on Instagram.It turned out that the picture, which Bow-wow posted was an image ripped off the Internet, and it wasn’t even at Atlanta. After posting the picture of ‘his private jet’, Bow-wow boarded a regular commercial flight to New York and travelled economy, where a fellow passenger spotted him, posted a picture of him in the flight, and called out his lie.

A few years back, the much revered Lance Armstrong, a cyclist who won the Tour De France seven consecutive times, and came back to win again, after fighting testicular cancer, fell from fame to disgrace, as it turned …

A painting I made today. I guess art is all about finding beauty in the mundane :)

See more of my art: Instagram.com/preetishenoyart
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Buy my books: Http://preeti.io/amazon

There's a site called One word.
It's very simple. You will see one word at the top of the screen. You have sixty seconds to write about it. You don't have to think..You have to just write.

I did that for today's post.  The word I got was

Danced 

Here's what I came up with.

She danced as she thought no one was watching. But unknown to her Mr. D’souza was by the door. She winced in pain, grimaced but nevertheless carried on. It was important to her. She was dying. Only, no one knew but her.


Your turn now! Go :) And once you have written it, come back and share it here, in my comment box. (share your word, as well as what you wrote) [You can also see other people's entries for the same word on the site]  _________________________
Buy my books: http://preeti.io/amazon
Photo by Darius Bashar on Unsplash

It's strange how many people cannot see the other person's point of view. They are convinced that only their world view is the 'right one'.

As a writer, I have to understand the motivation of my characters.  Always, I have to put myself in the shoes of all my characters and see it from their perspective. In my latest book A Hundred Little Flames, most readers see Jairaj as a villain. Yet, when I had created him, I did not think of him as villainous.  He had his reasons.He does care for his father, as he has arranged for his medical care, sends money and calls regularly.  SPOILER ALERT: (Skip the next line if you haven't read the book) Also, when the Police come, he does support his father.

But most readers identify so strongly with Ayan and Gopal Shanker that any action of Jairaj or Shaila is seen without the lens of empathy.

In life too, we tend to do that. If it's a person we like, we tend to overlook their faults, quite a bit. If it's  a person we disli…

How Tinder changed Valentine

It is the month of February and there was no escaping the most important day of the month. Yes, Valentine’s.
With Valentine’s Day preparations gathering momentum all around us like a particularly large balloon being inflated for a children’s birthday party, there was going to be no respite from the tacky hearts, splashes of red and declarations of undying love through every medium possible for the next two weeks. Each year, the real frenzy starts a week before V-day, with each successive day being declared as Rose Day, Propose Day, Chocolate Day, Teddy Day, Promise Day, Kiss Day, Hug Day and finally the queen mother of all—Valentine’s Day.
Until recently I was only vaguely aware of the existence of Valentine’s Day, with it stirring a few memories of the time I was in college and all of us used to dress in red and wait with bated breath to see which guy would send us a Valentine’s Day card. I distinctly remember the year when about fourteen girls in my clas…

" Words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth,' said V in V for Vendetta.

I love words. I make a living out of words. Words are powerful. You can begin revolutions with words. You can also  crush a spirit, hurt, maim, wound, leave a scar on the soul emblazoned forever, unleashing a fresh wave of pain, each time you remember the words that caused them.

I think it is important to choose your words with care. To think before you speak.
Because they mean something, signify something.

Sometimes, we use them before thinking. Something which we did not mean slips out, in a manner which we never intended. It is out there, hanging in the air, like a shroud.

One of my mother's favourite sayings is that 'If an object slips from your hands, you can quickly retrieve it. But once your words slip out, they can never be taken back.' So true.

I have just finished reading Sonia Choquette's book '…

Finally, after a long and hectic journey, I am back home. I woke up at 4.30 am this morning, and I am resting only now.

One the flight back home, I finished an entire novel. I also met the staff at Relay bookstore at terminal 1, and signed a lot of copies of A Hundred Little Flames.
You can see pictures and videos on myInstagram. in the stories .


All I can say for today, is I am exhausted, but relieved too , to be back.

Home Sweet home!

I love the peace and quiet in my home, the comfort of familiar surroundings, the atmosphere, the decor, the tranquility, the art scattered all over my home, the books and each thing in my room, that contains a hundred memories.

You? What do you love about your home?  Tell me in my comment box!
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photo: Alex Sawyer Unsplash.
Buy my books: Http://preeti.io/amazon 

We had a busy day today. The wedding was grand, splendid, resplendent, rich an a visual treat. We  had a lovely time, coming in with the 'baraat'.
We also clicked a lot of photos and created many happy, warm memories.

I have an early morning flight to catch tomorrow, and so I shall leave you with a sketch I made, this morning. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was my way of getting some quiet time amidst the  noise , music and the general buzzing that accompanies a wedding

I am sharing it with you.


More again tomorrow.
Good night folks.
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buy my books: http://preeti.io/amazon

The above is where I am staying right now! It is an amazing place :)
I am here for the wedding of one of my closest friends.

You can see videos of me dancing on my Instagram account in my story (which will be available for 24 hours).

Here are some more snap shots from today.
 (The view from the hotel room)


How can any Indian wedding be complete without Mehndi?

As you can see from the above pics, as well as from my Insta feed, I am having a really really good time.

More updates tomorrow.
(I left home at 3.00 am today, as I had an early morning flight)

Stay tuned!
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ps: buy my books: http://preeti.io/amazon.

Thank you Aastha for this lovely trip down the memory lane. From the Cosmopoltian shoot. L to R: Me , @madhuribanerjee @singh_nikita @kishwardesai @aasthaatray and @decemberschild Repost from @aasthaatray - #throwback to a lovely shoot and piece for @cosmoindia where all of us writers, and these ladies are awesome, spoke about how we became authors and how you can be tooo! Anyone can write, you do know that right? :) fun times. #cosmopolitan #feature #interview #magazine #fashion #happy #thankyou #writers #girlpower A post shared by Preeti Shenoy (@preeti.shenoy) on Feb 9, 2018 at 1:48am PST

I think memories are very important. Without memories, we are nothing. It is the past that makes us who we are.
One of my author friends, posted this snap on her Instagram, and it brought back memories of that wonderful afternoon, when Cosmopolitan magazine featured all of us for a shoot, and flew us to Delhi.

This is one of the pictures from the shoot, and we were all featured in the magazine…

Today I noticed how I can tune out the outside world and enter into the world of my characters, talk to them, and hear their voices in my head, as I added 1800 words to my new novel.
Today I noticed how happy I feel when I create something.

Today I noticed how uplifting music makes you feel wonderful, as I walked my dog and listened to some soul stirring notes with my apple headphones.

Today I noticed how the muscles between my shoulder blades ache, when I stand up straight because of this intense weight training I did with dumbells which were a bit more heavier than what I should be lifting, but  the coach  said that if it was easy, then I needed to add weights, and so I did.

Today I noticed how good I am feeling because of healthy eating and adequate protein intake.


Today I noticed that we imprison ourselves with our perceptions a lot of times.

Today I noticed that there are a million things to feel thankful for.
Now, here's a little exercise for you. What did YOU notice today?
Quick, q…