It’s a beautiful day in NYC, which means it’s a perfect day to make a Historical Romance fan happy! 😁
Last week, you may have spotted this picture of Sarah taken by moi on social media.
I snapped the photo after a panel event at the Strand Bookstore. If you’ve attended book events, then you know publishers and publicists prefer to go home empty-handed. No one wants to carry extra stuff home. Since the poster board sat against a pillar feeling sad and neglected, I asked Sarah if she’d sign it. She happily obliged and I told her I’d give it away on the blog, so here we are! I suspect the poster board is super happy it didn’t end up in the trash, or in a dusty closet never to be seen again, LOL.
Want to win it?
All you have to do is tell me the name of your all-time favorite Romance comfort read in the comments below! I’ll randomly select a winner next Monday. Now, all that’s left for me to do is to find something big enough to fit this thing in so I can ship it!
**If you are chosen as the winner, you will be asked to provide your full name and mailing address. You will have 24 hrs from the time I reach out to you follow up with your information. If you do not respond within 24 hours, I will select another winner.
***Please only enter if you genuinely want to win this lovely poster board. I want it to find a home!
It’s a blistering 91 degrees in NYC today! I guess summer decided to show up a few days early. Since we didn’t exactly get to experience spring, I have the feeling summer is going to last super long (I’m talking mid-October long). Booooo! Climate change is no joke and our seasons are all screwed up because of it. Ugh. Sadness. So much sadness.
Okay, now that I’ve totally cramped your style with my depressing observation, lol allow me to make you smile with today’s author spotlight. Falguni is a fellow RWANYC Chapter member!!! She’s such a lovely lady, and you should learn a little about her.
Take it away Falguni…
I always find author interviews kind of boring. We only get to see one side of an author, the polite side. If you had an evil doppelganger, what detail would they enjoy revealing about you to the public that people would find surprising and possibly questionable?
Besides my tendency to be snarky, I’m mostly clueless about the absolute awfulness that goes on in the world. I stay away from politics and current events. This is by choice. I dislike getting irked and worked up about things I cannot control or change. I think this cluelessness about current affairs irritates people, especially when I look at them blankly when they’re all up in arms about the new nonsense going on in the world and want a reaction from me…which considering all of the above, I cannot give them.
What’s the one activity that fills you with joy?
Besides reading? Dancing, be it Indian Classical or Ballroom or Latin or Zumba. Moving my body to music instantly puts me in my happy place.
Are you motivated by competition with others?
Yes. And keeping it on the healthy side is damn hard. I also compete with myself. My current book has to be better in every way from my last one.
The virgin hero trope in your Romance reads, yay or nay?
Five words: James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser of Outlander fame. So, of course, yay. Also, hubby and I were both…ahem. Yeah, so personal experience and testament also says, yay. TMI? 😲
True or False statement: Nobody will ever care about your books as much as you do.
False. So many others care so much! From my family to my readers to my editor. This is one of the reasons I kill myself to create better and better stories. I feel I have a responsibility not only to myself but to them as well.
What’s one of the best or more worthwhile investments you’ve ever made? It doesn’t have to be money. It could be time, energy, anything you’ve invested into that gave you a tremendous return on your investment.
Can I say my kids? They make me so tremendously proud every single day. Also, my dog. He’s the best emotional investment I’ve made. Better than my kids, actually. LOL
If peanut butter wasn’t called peanut butter, what would it be called?
Nutty Delight
What’s the most imaginative insult you can come up with?
To borrow from Shakespeare: You are the plague sore inside my armpit
Toilet paper, over or under?
Over. Under. Whatever. It just needs to be there when I need it.
What do think you are much better at than you actually are?
Parenting. *sigh* I keep thinking I haven’t broken them and they’re both adults now—or one is and the other will soon be. That’s a win, right?
**Bonus Question**
Ever tried BDSM? If not, would you?
😲 IRL no. I am definitely not the type for either dominance or subjugation. I’m a centrist, remember? I like things balanced. Equal give and take. If we’re talking about writing a story, then maybe since I like to write unconventional stories, and I like to genre hop.
Bio:
Falguni Kothari is the author of unconventional love stories and kick-ass fantasy tales. Her novels, most recently MYLASTLOVESTORY, are all flavored by her South Asian heritage and expat experiences, and delve into themes of marriage, love, friendship, family and parenthood. Her books have been reviewed and praised in a number of publications, including the New York Times Book Review which said, “Kothari poses a fresh conceptual question about marriage and love.”
She is also an award-winning Indian Classical, Latin and Ballroom dancer, and currently spikes her endorphin levels with Zumba. While she resides in New York with her family and pooch, she can be found online at FalguniKothari.com and on various social media. She is @AuthorFalguni on Instagram and Twitter, and @FalguniKothariAuthor on Facebook. Get the latest updates at bit.ly/FKMailingList.
T-G-I-F!!! My apologies for getting this post up late, but you can blame it on procrastination. I started this post last weekend, and I never finished writing it. LOL, typical me. I had an incredibly busy day at the day job, and blogging wasn’t on my radar. I’m now at home all settled in, and my stomach is grumbling, but I swore I would write the rest of this dang post before I ate! More motivation to get it done, right? So, before I keel over from hunger, let’s get to the second half of the shit I’m digging this week, shall we?
Cloak and Dagger
Up until last week, I didn’t know the Free Form network was a thing. I have like 800 cable channels, but I manage to watch the same ones. #whatamipayingfor
I also never watch live television and record everything because commercials are the bane of my existence. I found out about Cloak and Dagger while riding the subway to work! I saw the poster advertised on the train, became intrigued by the fact that it’s a Marvel TV series, and swore I’d watch the heck out of it ASAP. Later that evening, I went searching for the series On Demand and the next thing I know, two hours passed. Commercials, grrr. 😔 I could have gotten through the first two episodes in way less time if I were able to fast forward, but overall, I enjoyed the show!
The premise? A young woman and a young man experience a tragic event at the same moment in time. While they aren’t together when these events occur, they are in the same location. Some sort of fluke of nature (which we haven’t discovered) gives them both powers. Their powers seem to take off when they’re together. I never read the comic this series is based on, but it took place in the early 80s which means it will be my jam! I need to visit my local comic book shop to catch up. Check out the trailer and give it a go!
Pose
LISTEN! From the moment I saw the trailer on Twitter a few months ago, I *knew* this show would be my everything. We’re only two episodes in, and I’m gagging on how good it is. First, let me say if you’ve never seen Paris is Burning, you need to add it to your Netflix queue S-T-A-T! I first saw Paris is Burning back in college in one of my Sociology classes and I’ve watched it countless times since.
It’s a documentary on the underground ballroom scene in NYC. You get NYC realness in all of its fierce glory. You get people from groups that are often marginalized telling their stories in their own words. You get to know the origins of “Voguing” *hint it didn’t come from Madonna.* There’s just so much to take in. IT’S FABULOUS!!!
So, I beg of thee, before you view Pose, YOUHAVETOWATCHPARISISBURNING. Then you can thoroughly enjoy the experience. Ryan Murphy is doing serious work. The man has yet to disappoint me when it comes to a TV show (although after the Coven season of AHS, I expected a lot more. I’ve been underwhelmed by AHS to be quite honest). In any case, don’t mind my salty demeanor (AHS is still sorta good, maybe, meh) but you need to watch Pose. The music alone will induce some serious nostalgia. Episode one features tunes from The Mary Jane Girls (one of the best things Rick James ever did), and Chaka Khan. Get ready to break out your dancin’ shoes!
*Update* I read this article after publishing SiD, and maybe things will turn around. Without Jessica Lange, I’m not so sure, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed!
The Hating Game
I haven’t read a romance book in a few months. Non-fiction, poetry, literary fiction, and self-help books have been the only things that have kept my interest as of late. I grabbed the Hating Game when Smart Bitches advertised it as being on sale. FOLKS, ITIS A GREATBOOKBUY!!! I love it! I’m like 60% in, and I needed this book in my life. You should activate your one-click finger and grab it. It’s hilarious! 😂
And that’s all the shit I’m digging this week! I hope based on Monday’s post and my super late post tonight, you’ll immerse yourself in some pop culture goodness this weekend.
Until the next volume, take it easy!
I couldn’t help myself. I had to insert this video of The Mary Jane Girls on Soul Train.
