Bollywood in a Book

We have a very special guest today – my friend and fellow author Shobhan Bantwal who is visiting to tell us about her fabulous new release – THE SARI SHOP WIDOW, or as Shobhan calls it, Bollywood in a Book.

So without further ado, here’s Shobhan!

Fashion Friday is the perfect venue to offer readers a peek into my latest novel, THE SARI SHOP WIDOW, since my protagonist is a fashion designer who owns a fashionable and upscale clothing boutique. This tale has all the elements of “Bollywood in a Book”—drama, startling secrets, delicious Indian or Desi cultural elements, and best of all, romance. It also has Caridad Pineiro’s lovely blurb on the cover. Thank you, Caridad!

Set on the streets of Edison, New Jersey’s Little India, it tells the story of a young businesswoman, Anjali Kapadia, who discovers the magic of love, family, and tradition as she fights to save her failing boutique. When she and her parents are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, her rich, dictatorial uncle arrives from India to bail them out. But he brings with him a few surprises, one of them being a young Indian-British business partner named Rishi Shah, a suave Londoner with cool gray eyes, a proper English accent, and a know-it-all attitude.

As much as Rishi’s haughty demeanor triggers Anjali’s distrust, it also stirs something else, an unexpected and powerful attraction she can’t deny. And the feeling is mutual. Caught between her growing feelings for Rishi and her loyalty to her family and her business, Anjali is forced to make a life-altering decision . . .

I always wanted to set a book in Edison, New Jersey’s Little India, a quaint and colorful enclave of Indian boutiques, restaurants, jewelry shops, music stores, and food markets. Merely setting foot into Little India is a unique experience.

Mannequins wearing lush silk saris, sequined and beaded salwar-kameez and chania-choli outfits grace many of the boutique windows. Intricate and elaborate 22 carat gold jewelry displayed in showcases is a truly rare sight, while pungent curry, dosa, and tangy-sweet mango lassi tickle the taste buds.

For me, setting a book in this neighborhood was a fun way to introduce it to my non-Indian readers. The result was THE SARI SHOP WIDOW.

For a preview, see the trailer below or visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9uRlbkxxes

I am giving away a grand prize of one Indian costume jewelry set to one winner and five signed copies of the book to five winners in a drawing. To enter, go to the “Contests” page of my website www.shobhanbantwal.com and sign up between Sept 1 and Sept 30, 2009.