Hello everyone. It’s been a while, and a lot is going on. So, I will update you all with lots of updates. And it’s all good news. La vie est belle.
To begin with, I am currently between moving. Not a significant change, but the place I stay is where I have been living for the last 25 years of my life. It’s a bittersweet moment for us—so many moments in the same place. I have cried here and laughed. I have dreamt here and seen some dreams crumble to dust. This is the place where I saw shades of life. But now, we have to move. It isn’t very far, but it’s the end of an era. My whole family is exhausted, tired and yet excited. This move forced me to collect all my books from 10 different places to one place and pack them. It wasn’t easy, but I am pleased to say books were the first things I arranged.
My website had some space issues for a while. I couldn’t attach photos or add covers to the books. This made me feel sad and exhausted whenever I had to do it. So, inevitably, most of the time, I started ignoring it. Which I know isn’t a valid excuse, but it’s the truth. But now? All the issues are solved, and I am optimistic about this being a space where I share my love for books and a gazillion things.
A hush-hush update: I’ve always been writing. It’s not always about a story, sometimes a small thing in front of it, as insignificant as a pen or emotions. I would pick emotions and write about them. It made me feel good, and I enjoyed creating stories. I started doing it again, and it feels pretty good. My friend would often give me a word, and I would make stories involving the word or around it.
Now, as to why we are all here. Books. I have not been 100% active on social media, but I am fortunate; despite that, I have made some fantastic connections, and I am beyond grateful. I am reading books I would have never picked if not for social media. I am talking with people, and more than that, some authors are trusting me with their babies, their books. My reading schedule went out with all the work, but if possible, I try to sneak in a couple of pages. (A very big, if)
This year, I was fortunate enough to work with some authors. I took part in beta reading, alpha reading and reading more arcs. I also got a chance to receive arcs from the traditional publishing houses, which I thought was only possible because of my location. I got an opportunity to work with various authors as a part of blog tours. I have made some fantastic friends here. But with each passing day, I am more grateful and glad to be a part of it.
I have also been part of two amazing competitions. BBYNA and SFINCS. It’s a new and overwhelming experience for me. I sit and binge stories. But for BBYNA, that wasn’t an option. The competition is good, but I don’t know if I want to do this in the future. As to SFINCS, I have yet to technically begin judging, so I can’t comment. Nevertheless, it is exciting.
My birthday is coming, and while I have been lucky with books in the past year, I cannot always buy the books I want. It’s mainly for two reasons, the first being location. Not all books are available to buy here. And when they are, they are most of the time expensive. This year, I bought myself a series of 5 books for my birthday. I am so giddy with excitement. I can’t wait to receive them and read them.
That’s all for today. Thank you for attending my Ted Talk (Krina’s version?).
Let me know what’s happening in your life.
If you’d like to gift me a book, here is my wish list.
If you’d like me to work with you – be it for alpha reading or beta or even review requests, you can always check availability with me. You can contact me here.
I do create mock ups for your books, if that’s something you’d like, again, you can contact me here.
You can support me by buying me a Ko-fi.