FAQ: Why Elkford?

Well, when I emigrated to Canada in 1988 from Fiji islands, the first place I found myself was the small town of Elkford, British Columbia. Current population 3000 people! Whew! I suppose as a teenager, growing up in Fiji, my idea of Canada was much different. I expected to be surrounded by fast cars, tall buildings, herds of people, but here I was -- in Elkford. Population, less than 3000! Surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. As I grew to visit other places in Canada, however, I realised that Elkford was one of the many faces of this country we Canadians live in. So for my first published novel, I selected the the small town of Elkford as the most perfect setting and background to tell my story. I think it's noteworthy to mention that having been in Calgary for more than a decade, parts of the story is also situated in Albertan cities and towns such as Cowley, Alberta.

FAQ: Do you believe that God exists?

On good days, I am sure that God exists. But on bad days, I often wonder...

Having said that, I grew up practising Hinduism and then discovered Christianity along the way. Therefore, most of writings center around uncovering the commonalities and differences between these two religions. Also, I do this by taking a more satirical approach.

CHRISTMAS SEASON BOOK SIGNINGS

Author will be signing at the following locations over the Christmas Season:

Date: October 23, 2009
Location: Coles Bookstore, Market Mall, Calgary, AB
Time: 11 am to 5 pm

Date: October 31, 2009
Location: Chapters, Chinook Mall, Calgary, AB
Time: 1 pm to 5 pm

Date: November 20, 2009
Location: Coles Bookstore, Marlborough Mall, Calgary, AB
Time: 11 am to 5 pm

Date: December 19, 2009
Location: Chapters Spectrum, Sunridge Mall, Calgary, AB
Time: 1pm to 5 pm

Look out for other signing dates and locations in other towns and cities.

FAQ: What stories did you grow up with?

My mother, in Fiji, was a great storyteller. She used to tell me stories of Birbal and the emperor, Akbar, just about every night. I grew to love these tales. I was amused by how Birbal out smarted everyone around him with the use of his wit and intelligence. These stories taught me unforgettable life lessons and morals that puzzled my brain.

Here's one for your enjoyment:

Emperor Akbar and Birbal, and Bananas

Birbal and the Emperor were eating bananas. The Emperor would throw the peels over to Birbal's side of the table. This went on for a while. After all the bananas were eaten, the Emperor feeling like he could finally defeat Birbal smiled and said, "Birbal, you greedy fellow, look at all the bananas you ate." Birbal looked at the Emperor and retorted, "Emperor Akbar, at least I, unlike you, spared the peels."

FAQ: Which character do you most relate to?

For certain, I am not Mrs. Anand. Though I do wish I knew her personally. She is so full of laughs. I definitely can't relate to Mrs. Hicks. Perhaps the character that I can most relate to and is a lot like me is "Ravi." I can relate to his dreams of becoming a writer. I can relate to his constant struggles and off the wall sense of humor. At the end of the day, he is a lovable kinda guy, and at the end of the day, sometimes the most I can hope for is to be a lovable kinda girl. So what character is you?

FAQ: Are the characters in this book based on people you actually know?

Many fiction writers get this question. I think people forget that we write because we have an imagination and a knack of creating characters and situations that seem and become real. Having said that...

I write "fiction" novels and rarely follow anyone around, collecting their life stories. Real life and people do inspire me, but then my imagination takes over, and I end up creating characters that everyone thinks is their next door neighbor. So -- not really. Characters in this book are not based on people I know personally.

A LESBIAN STIR

Elisha walked for a while. She didn’t realize that she had passed the restaurant and the Gas Station. She came to a long bumpy log road at the edge of a steep hill. Dark haunting clouds started to drift into the wide sky. The threat of a storm lingered over the small town of Cowley, but Elisha was oblivious to everything but the road before her.
      She followed the road up to the top of a deserted place and found a rock three times the size of a watermelon. She looked out to the few lights at the bottom of the hill. An owl hooted.
      When she was a little girl, she had often dreamed of running to a place such as this: a place that was secluded and untouched. It was in this place that she would dig a hole and bury her nightmares of the prince of darkness. He always wore a black cape and chased her through the dark tunnels with a double-edged sword.
      Now she feared he chased her because she had evil thoughts. She thought about other women. She thought about caressing the fullness of their breasts and tasting the sweat on the roundness of their curves. She thought these thoughts often. And she knew God despised her for thinking these thoughts.
      Elisha sat on the hard rock. Even in a safe place such as this, she could feel the torment of her desires. And she could feel the spirit of restlessness bind her, choke her, and gag her. This was her silent secret. Her silent curse.