…so I guess here’s an appropriate story to go with the changing weather 🙂

It’s over. The very first book launch I’ve attended. It wasn’t too hard. And I didn’t make a fool of myself.

The only flip side was that I missed a get-together that I had been looking forward to for a very long time 😦

Here goes, once again!

The launch for the books Urban Shots: Crossroads and Urban Shots: The Love Collection is being held on Feb 18, 2012, at Sapna Book House, Koramangala, at 6.30pm.

Crossroads includes my story Paradise, and The Love Collection includes my story Reality Bytes.

So do come! Hope to see you there.

I get to begin this year with another sweet achievement. Will this lucky streak continue? Only Time (and perhaps the end of the world) will tell! 🙂

My Invitation still stands, but the date has been moved. Will update when I know.

The Urban Shots Crossroads Anthology, which includes my story Paradise, will be launched on 21 Jan 2012 – 5 pm, at Reliance Time Out, Cunningham Road, Bangalore.

Do come.

No, I’m not on Red Bull. But yes, I can probably fly now, with one more feather in my cap! 🙂

Yesterday, a pleasant surprise awaited me in my inbox. Apparently, I had won (Joint) Second Prize in the Poetry with Prakriti contest. They were going to announce the winners at Kalakshetra in Chennai, which of course, I couldn’t attend. They haven’t updated the website as yet, but going by the previous years, I guess my poem will be up when they update it.

It had been such a long time since I tried my hand at poetry, and when I saw this contest announcement, I thought I’d give it a shot. The poetry muscle was more than a little stiff, but not completely dead. I hardly expected to get a prize, so this is real yummy icing on the cake!

Honestly, what an unbelievable year this has been!

…for I might be dreaming 🙂

What could be better than a lovely, royal holiday in Rajasthan?

The fact that I’ve won FIRST PRIZE in the Short Story category of the Unisun Reliance Timeout Writing Competition 2011!

If anyone had told me that I’d make a lakh* this year by writing just two stories, I would have laughed and declared them insane. (Not to mention getting published in three short story collections next year!)

This is just too much! Someone better tell Dame Luck that she’s left my tap running.

* It’s before TDS, but still, hot dog! 😀

I must have missed the acceptance mail somehow, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that a short piece — Renovation — that I had written some time ago was published in August by Long Story Short.

Hope you like it.

This weekend has been such a happy one for me.

On Friday, I attended a prize distribution function hosted by Deccan Herald to receive my prize. It was short and sweet, but the highlight for me was the fact that my parents, along with DH and Lil D, and my sister and niece also attended. It was very special because after my school days, during which my parents attended our annual prize distribution ceremony without fail, this is the first time they have witnessed me receiving a prize. It was a lovely feeling to be able to share it with them.

And what could top this? The fact that both my entries to the Landmark and Grey Oak Urban Stories Competition 2011 have been shortlisted for publication!

The story Paradise is to be published in December 2011 in the Urban Shots Crossroads collection, and the story Reality Bytes is to be published in February 2012, in the Urban Shots Love Collection.

When Lady Luck smiles, I guess she beams down a truckload of the stuff, no? 🙂