The first launch of It's Never Too Late

January 25th, 2014 marked the grand launch of my book It's Never Too Late. It was the first ever launch and I was very excited and little nervous too. But the happiest thing apart from the launch was that, my parents were here with me. Yes! It means they were sitting right in front of me during the entire launch. It was wonderful to see them as I had wished umpteen times for them to attend my first launch during writing my book and when they got plans to come to Bangalore, I was on Cloud 9 since then.

My husband, Sumit and our kid, Ashmit, both were pretty excited too. Sumit had been placing calls to everyone and inviting them to the launch. On the event date, he was furiously taking follow up calls. He was supremely busy in those activities while I could prepare myself for the launch. I wondered how much patience he carries with him as some were being very offensive over the phone on trivial issues and were talking senseless. Anyways, we had to ignore that despite of their talking made us upset. Those people should understand how big the day was for us and they certainly should not upset any of us but I guess this is the life. Good and bad things go hand in hand.

For the event, I wore sari. Before leaving home, I was nervous but my mother assured me everything would go just fine. I crossed my fingers and left home. In fifteen minutes, we were at Leela Palace (where the launch was supposed to be done). After parking the car, we got clicked and here are those pics...

Here I am...inside Leela Palace

Life is not picture perfect

This morning juggling with cooking, getting my kid ready for the school and packing all things, I hurriedly took off with him to drop him at the bus point but missed it. I was late by few minutes and there happened another hustle bustle of life. I immediately took an auto and dropped him in his school.

While returning back, I munched on how life has gotten changed since last few days, two days to be precise. Two days ago, I was with my parents and life was even more busier. They were here for around one week and every single day, we were on our feet to visit this place and that place. We were so busy that I, in fact, did not find substantial time to post my launch photos on my official pages. I regretted that but attending my parents seemed to me more important. I am after all a family type person and it comes above everything, even to my writing! I hope you will understand and respect it.

We got to visit many places like Flower Show in Lalbagh, some places in and around Bangalore, The Art of Living, a day trip of Mysore and on the final day, for shopping. Their one week schedule was so hectic and tiring that we could hardly procure some time to relax let alone tidying up the house. I had my launch scheduled during their visit and it was on January 25th. Read the details HERE. The event went successful with number of people attendance. My parents were very happy to attend it and so we were.

Below snaps I am sharing from the Flower show of Lalbagh.

Flag made of rice grains

It's Never Too Late's grand launch in B'lore

Hi there! I know I have not been stopping by too much at my blog and if I tell you the truth, I regret it a great deal. I miss writing at my blog. The reason I am unable to write here much is the pomposity of the promotion of my book It's Never Too Late. I never knew promoting your work can be such a hectic job. It demands maximum of your energy and time. You give your best but still...you feel like a little more you could do. It means, you never get satisfied unless you get something concrete. Thankfully and fortunately, some good things are lined up and I am excited to share them asap in here...on my dear blog.

So, what has been up to you? Now that January is half way past, have you worked on the resolutions? Or, have you really made any? If things are also lining up in good shape for you, I am glad. Glad that I am not the only soul getting happiness from unexpected resources (and from some expected too).

I am organizing a book launch at Oxford Bookstore in Leela Palace (Bangalore) on Jan 25th. I hope it will pass as a wonderful experience. It involves two wonderful chief guests as well. We three will be in discussion on my book and topics related to it. Majorly we will tackle deals with how to face your own fears and deal with them. Sounds intriguing? Good. Fear is something that we all live with in one form or the other. So if you happen to be in Bangalore on the same date, DO NOT forget to attend the event. Send in your message to me at my e-mail id @ priyanka11382@gmail.com and I will share the invite with you. I have also shared the details on my social websites.

I hope to see you all at my launch. It will be my pleasure being in conversation with you and answering your Qs. :)

For the mother's love

This mornin' started with a rather rough unappetizing note. Last night I said something to my son right before sleeping and no sooner I said it, I realized saying it was an utter mistake. The moment I realized my mistake, I grimaced because now I had to apologize for my thing. Not because I wasn't genuinely guilty but parents sometimes delve too much in I-am-so-right attitude. But I said sorry to him not once but several times but the damage was done already. He was seriously angry with me and when he gets angry, heaven can only save me. My own kid starts to shout, yell at me, crying at the same time, looking away from me and never ever let me touch him. In short, he invited hell on me. so he got angry and I felt really bad. I really wanted to make it up for him but as I am so much absolutely busy in promoting my book these days that I hardly get proper rest. My back was aching continuously yesterday. I also do not stay in my best mood these days {Thanks to Sumit for enduring me and my impatient (sometimes irrational too) behavior}. When one does not get to rest, everything unfavorable around sucks. You just can not bear a single NO or a genuine shout. You just become your less favorite. So I am really being my less favorite these days though I do my best to save everyone's day if I can't save mine.

So because of my up and down merry-go-round behavior, I couldn't bother much to smooth out the damage. I slept after him. These days, I am again the last family member to sleep as...you understand...work stuffs and all.

When I woke up this morning, the flare of my last night's careless speaking was hanging inside my head. I had thought of presenting myself with extra sweetness and an ear-to-ear smile to my son whom, I presumed, would have forgotten every iota of what I had said. But the destiny wasn't in my favor too. My kid still remembered when he woke up and started telling his father. I felt bad and sorry and was ridiculously disgusted with myself. Usually my son forgets things easily but when he remembered it, I realized how much I have hurt him. However, I said sorry over and over again but nothing could cheer him up. After a good dose of crying and silly accusations, he left for his school and then I got the privilege of sighing at my expense.

Journey towards It's Never Too Late...by Priyanka Baranwal

Has it ever happened with you - Fulfilling someone else's dream making you not happy but happier? It sure has happened with me. On the release of It's Never Too Late, my debut novel, I have fulfilled my husband's dream and that is what making me happier every day.

The journey towards my debut novel It's Never Too Late...to win the battle against your biggest enemy : Fear, this particular journey has been one of a kind to me. It had involved all kind of emotions, drama and many things that were entirely new to me. With all the pleasure and nostalgia, I sit back today and give you the details of whats, whys and hows of my journey towards my book.

It was the usual signature chilly night of Bangalore, August 26th 2012 to be precise. I was comfortably curled up on my couch dwelling deep into a riveting novel. I was about to finish it and when I read its last word, I somehow hated it. Whenever an interesting book comes to an end, I feel bad. I wish stories, good ones on this note, can go on forever. But I now know it's too much to ask to an author. Characters can manage to live on for perpetuity but not the story. Anyways, when I was done and closed the book, I was silent for a moment. I was relishing its every piece and then I smiled and turned to my husband, Sumit, who was equally busy in playing a game on screen. I casually said to him,

"How good these people must be feeling seeing their names on a book? How beautiful it'd feel when they know millions of people are reading their array of thoughts and procession of sentences? It definitely be feeling heavenly".

Sumit smiled back and replied, "Yeah. That is right. But why don't you try to write a novel yourself? You write really well. I have read your online articles and poems. You write really good. Try writing a novel now"

I was highly bemused to hear this because I had never thought of it. Even the lightest dim of flash never dared to cross my head. I shook my head in dismissal and said, "No way. Not possible. Writing articles and poem are fine but novel...I don't think I can do it". By this time, he had finished playing the game and I had put the novel aside. We were now deep in conversation.

"But I think positive about it. You start writing one. I know you will again do marvelous in this venture too". No matter how much incredible his offer or idea looked to me, I found it no harm trying it anyway. After few seconds of pros and cons considerations, I put my faith into his and said YES. And that simple three letter word YES would change my life, it never crossed my head either.