Hello, Goodreads members. I was born in India in a community where, if you declared your intention to become a writer, they began to book a place in the local madhouse for you (there was a waiting list, lots of nuts created by the local version of Christianity, so you had to book in advance). There were no books in my home except for a couple of prayer books and old text books; we barely had enough money to buy nutritious food (no, there was never a shortage of rice--we belonged in some layer between the middle middle class and the lower middle class--but we fought over whose chance it was to get the Daily Egg). I did not meet a single published author until I was 18 or 19, and this author was possibly an undercover or part-time CIA agent (this so-called author was presented to us in Mangalore by the United States Information Service).

But I was determined, and it took about 15 years from the day I decided to be a writer to the actual publication of my first novel (and the rest is history, or history that has been buried deep in some smelly time capsule).

I am only now beginning to understand Goodreads. I have had a few well-received books, but recently have been publishing e-books. (My e-book publishing program is experimental and fluid, and some of the titles displayed in Goodreads have been withdrawn; I don't yet understand how to correct this.)

But I look forward to engaging with you as readers, fellow readers, and friends.