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At the Pune reading of The Counsel of Strangers

The Counsel of Strangers - is here!

Hello everyone

I'm holding a copy of my new novel The Counsel of Strangers in my hand, hot off the press-oven. It's looking good. I would really like you to read it. It will be in stores, but it will be equally easily available in India off the OMO Books site, www.omobooks.com. For those who are wary and chary of the Net, I assure you it's easy - and there are options whereby you dont do the paying on the Net. So do go to the site and order it from there. If you are particularly averse to doing that, you can simply email me at my id or to omobooks@gmail.com and ask for the book and it will come to you in 3 days. We'll figure how to take the Rs 250 from you in the way most convenient to you.
I am attaching the covers, from which you can read the blurb and take a look at the front image.
There's going to be launches - two in Pune, and one in Mumbai, Bangalore, later Delhi, Chennai, Goa.
It's going to be in stores - already is, in Pune, in Crossword stores and in Twist n Tales and Popular and Book World. We're in the process of tying up with all the other biggies and smallies, but store sales is not what we're aiming at exclusively. Too many books out there.
I hope you enjoy the book.
For those of you outside of India, it would be easier if you ordered it from authorhouse or from amazon, etc.

Books In My Boot

My friend David D'Souza started doing it, and I coined the phrase, Books in My Boot. So we both own the phrase in a way. Go read about David's cool and joyous (as opposed to hot-bothered and joyless with most traditional publishing) self-publishing journey at http://ddesouza.wordpress.com/2010/04/27/self-publishing-monographs-photo-books-yes-you-can-do-it-easily/.
No he doesnt sell books solely out of the boot of his van, but yes, he always has a few there and makes a decent sale from that retail outlet too! It is inspiring and liberating, to say the least. So there are copies of my 3 Zakia Mansion and my ABCSs of Parenting in the boot of my car too. And for sure, there will be copies of The Counsel of Strangers in the boot - Dickey/dicky/dikki of the car, for those who dont use the word boot. but you can see the temptation to alliterate with book and boot. somehow book and dicky sound naah.
Anyway, OMO Books is all incorporated and getting marinated and incubated (choose your own metaphor) and The Counsel of Strangers is in its final stages before going irrevocably into the print process.
A Mumbai launch on June 4 and 5, and a Pune one a little later, and perhaps Bangalore after that. Delhi in better weather. Other places depending on whether the car with its boot-full-of-books can get there.

Preadings Pre-readings - The Counsel of Strangers

What's a preading?
Readers and book-buyers have always been curious and intrigued about the writing process and the writer's relationship with her/his work. The concept of the 'preading' or a pre-launch reading, gives them an early peek into a forthcoming work from a published writer. It is an intimate and interactive event, that is ‘cosier’ than a book launch. At a preading, the writer, after her/his lonely and quiet journey of writing, re-writing, drafting and crafting, can look forward to showing (reading) parts of her completed work, as well as to sharing some of the ups and downs of the writing process for that particular work. The reader enjoys a preading like a ‘soup-starter’ before the main course, and his appetite is whetted for more. For the host of the preading - either a book store, a club, a college or any institution, the event draws potential customers and clients, press and other interested agencies to the venue. For the publisher of the work, it is a way to tell people, ‘look what we’re getting ready for you’!
I just did a preading at Open Space in Pune. The group was small but the discussion was layered and fun and threw up so many questions and answers.
Here are the dates and places for 3 more preadings of The Counsel of Strangers:
15 April, Crossword, Residency Road, Bangalore
17 April, Crossword, ICC Towers, Senapati Bapat Rd, Pune
7 May, Crossword, Linking Road, Bandra W, Mumbai

all in 2010, of course. The book will be out in July 2010 and available in stores and online and out of the boot of my car too. Books in my Boot. A whole new movement in publishing!
So do come for the preadings, saha-kutumb, saha-pariwar! Will be interactive and fun.

Preadings

Heard of 'preadings'? It's when a writer reads from her/his work before the actual launch of a book. It's a small early peek into the book for readers. I love the idea. Will be doing some in Pune and Bangalore and Mumbai. Will keep everyone posted on when where.
Artist designer and singer Junuka Deshpande is going to do the book cover - she's currently working on it. Yayyy.
This is for the second novel, The Counsel of Strangers. It's a book in 6 voices, is all I can say now.
And this is the opening quote to the book:
"There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't yet met.” - ascribed to W.B. Yeats