Moushumi Chakrabarty's Blog

I’m sure you must be wondering where I was. I’d like to share some lovely news with you – a few days ago, my grandson Walter Maddox Gann was born. Boy, my life has suddenly changed!

It’s impossible to describe the feelings that are welling up in me, even when I say the words, “My grandson”. All babies are precious, of course, and to have this little one in our family is an awesome gift. You may believe in ‘God’, or ‘Nature’, or ‘the Universe’ – whatever you are inclined towards.

So, to the powers that be, I express heartfelt gratitude for giving me Max.

When I look at him, (thank God for technology), I start babbling incoherently. He’s just the sweetest, and his little face fills me with such tenderness. Now, in the Covid scenario, it is not possible for me to be with my daughter’s family. So, we must be content with photos and video calls. Something is better than nothing, I guess.

I leave you with his picture:

When is a story ‘finished’? I’m pondering this question as I come towards the end of my novel (the working title is ‘Road from Riven’). The characters that I have crafted are so real to me that it’s like I’m holding Meg’s hand, thinking about which path to take. The novel is about Meg, a British Home Child, and her journey.

The story of BHCs in Canada is a troubling one. These were children, often as young as four, who were sent across the ocean from Britain to Canada. The official reason was that they were going to be ‘adopted’ by Canadian families, and live happily ever after. Alas, the reality was completely different. They were separated from their siblings, and without any parents, assigned numbers, and auctioned off to families in Canada looking to hire young workers in their farms and homes.

Can you imagine the fear and trauma they faced? There are instances of abuse, and many of these BHCs, when they grew older, never managed to reunite with their biological families.

My story is about just such a girl, and the search for her brother Will. I’m at the stage in my writing of the first draft that forces me to stop and think about how to proceed. You know, a big part of writing is re-writing, so I’m now looking at going over each line in the manuscript and deleting, explaining, adding etc. Fun times, eh!

With a bit of trepidation, not unlike watching Baby’s first steps, I started the Ebook Giveaway project today. It’s been nerve-wracking to watch the first tentative footfalls, as the link went live.

Learning how to navigate various technical aspects is just one part of the deal that is in-built with the whole indie publishing gig. I mean, it sounds simple enough, but if you’re not particularly tech savvy, mastering the many paths and byways towards ensuring a functional, aesthetically pleasing, and accurate product, is no small matter.

So please be patient as I navigate these tricky waters. I promise, however, to continue to tell my stories.

As promised, to thank you for your support of my literary ventures, here is a free ebook, ‘Lovely Summer’s Shade’. I don’t much like labels, so I’m not going to classify what genre it falls under. Suffice to say, I like to tell stories. This is the story of young Somu, and time-travel, and a thrilling adventure with a dangerous antagonist! I hope you enjoy it, and please feel free to forward to anyone who would like to read. I would appreciate your feedback as well. 

https://mailchi.mp/03e3b00a098e/free-ebook-lovely-summers-shade

Last day of May, and tomorrow the new month begins. My explorations with indie publishing, with keeping the creative flame burning steadily in the midst of this pandemic, continue. Everyday there is bad news, and the constant complaint, “Nothing ‘good’ is happening anywhere!”

You may have an inkling about how difficult it is to remain engaged and disciplined about one’s creative pursuits, specially now. Already, it’s hard to close my eyes to the relentless barrage of information about the pandemic. Now, I hear, various American cities are burning with manifestations of violence due to the death of George Floyd.

I’m trying to turn off the news. Instead I remind myself how excited I am about tomorrow’s event that I am holding on my Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/events/731527524285978/

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If you happen to stop by, I promise you won’t be disappointed. I am giving away an ebook, ‘Lovely Summer’s Shade’. So, see you there. And thank you, for your support.

How are you coping with the enforced isolation? It’s been a bummer for everyone I know. We need people around us, don’t we?

For me, this situation has brought into the forefront how we are a socially-oriented species. Aristotle said, “Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something that precedes the individual. Anyone who either cannot lead the common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need to, and therefore does not partake of society, is either a beast or a god. ”

Wise words! I am not happy with the ‘Man’ in the quote – but I quibble.

The COVID situation has made me busier than usual though I am not being ‘social’. Some people are battling for space and time within my head. They’re competing with each other for their voices to be heard.

You see, I’m working on my next book, and the characters are like living beings to me. They all have their various idiosyncrasies, their likes and dislikes, and many of them are really insistent! Others are a little shy, not willing to come out and claim my attention. For those, I have to still the other voices, and coax them to speak.

My book delves into the world of a British Home Child, who comes to Canada in the early 1920s. Her story, and adventures, are alive in my imagination. So, based on a fact of history, but clothed in the imaginary, Meg’s story is just begging to be written.

Next Monday is 1 June, and as I promised, something is heading your way. Just putting the finishing touches to it. So, keep an eye out. And stay safe.

I used to be really conflicted about this: should e-published books be considered ‘real books’ as opposed to physical ones? Until you hold a copy of the book  in your own hands, can you really get that feeling? I know I am not alone, as many people I spoke to confirmed this sneaking suspicion.

But hey, things change, attitudes shift, and intelligence is about adapting to changing circumstances, right?

After having published two books in the ‘traditional way’, that is, through a brick and mortar publisher, I decided to take the other path. The endless hassles of publishers who want control over each and every thing in your book, the feeling of having to bow and scrape (specially if you are not a well-known author), the super long timelines – no, I’ve had enough of all that. I just want to tell good stories, and I’m hoping e-publishing will help me reach my audience.

To that end, I want to let you know about a book of short stories I had published on Kindle many moons ago. If you are so inclined, and looking for a quick read, here’s the link: https://amzn.to/3cy9E6Y

Here is the synopsis – ‘Threshold‘ is a collection of stories focusing on a group of individuals caught in the nexus of desire and fulfillment. Age and geography are but artificial boundaries, and mean little. A cause and effect relationship drives the protagonists to launch forward into a loss of innocence. In the process, some find fulfillment, some do not.

In ‘West Mall Bus Stop‘, a mother mourns the disappearance of her teenage daughter and seeks answers which no one but herself can give. In ‘Glimpse‘, a young woman in Toronto attempts to rebuild her life, trying to find the fractured parts of herself after her divorce.

A boy vacationing with his family makes reparation with the ghostly figure in the balcony in ‘On Holiday‘. Just poised to make the leap outside of the circumstances of humanness, these characters struggle to invest meaning into their lives. In ‘The Racket‘, an eight-year old covets not only a badminton racket but also friendship. In ‘Wrong Number‘, a childless woman rises above the pettiness of suburban life and seeks her emancipation in nature.

Set in Canada and India, the stories offer the reader a compassionate insight into the human condition.

Drop me a line if you like it!

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