Who Would Have Thought?

Who Would Have Thought?

Australian author Tim Winton said he had three writing desks so he could move from one project to another, depending on how each was going, be it a novel, short story or children’s book. I found myself doing something similar when working on my memoir (The Boatman)...
Confession: I’m a Westwallah!

Confession: I’m a Westwallah!

During six years in India I grew accustomed to hearing the word ‘wallah’, whether it be a chai wallah, rickshaw wallah, or one of dozens of other trades, specialties or locations that wallah denotes. It was one of those Indian words that had seamlessly slipped into...
Becoming My Own Publisher

Becoming My Own Publisher

After having had six books published in four countries, I decided to try self-publishing my latest book, MORE THAN HALFWAY TO SOMEWHERE. This decision was driven by comments from a previous publisher and a writer friend who both deemed my collection of travel stories...
It’s OK to Judge a Book by Its Cover

It’s OK to Judge a Book by Its Cover

How often have you been told “Never judge a book by its cover”? While there is wisdom in that saying, it tends to mask the vital role that actual book covers play in capturing readers’ interest. My experience with covers of a number of books bears this out. But...
Titles and Subtitles: Critical Choices

Titles and Subtitles: Critical Choices

When I published my India memoir, THE BOATMAN, in 2014, I received an email from a reader in Australia who enjoyed the book but felt deceived by my choice of title. He was a very talented artist, who had spent many years painting exquisite pictures of the lithesome...