Late breakfast on the boardwalk. Delicious — at Boardwalk Bakery http://gowal.la/r/Z3Co # Heading to Downtown Disney for last night festivities: dinner + shopping #ffrwa10 # Arrived after event-filled trip from Boardwalk w/ Cindy Gerard, Heather Graham, Faye — at Pleasure Island Bus Station http://gowal.la/r/Zb56 # Hanging and people watching on a Sunday night — at Planet Hollywood http://gowal.la/r/Zb5t # Photo: Looks great at night — at Planet Hollywood http://gowal.la/r/Zb68 # Sandi & Daniel are flying @summersharp. Hopefully there is room for rest in cars. You will NOT believe the books! & Pat went shopping! # Dinner with Fresh Fiction crew after lovely RWA2010 — at Fulton's Crab House http://gowal.la/r/ZbtL # I just earned the Wayfarer Pin on @gowalla! http://gowal.la/r/ZbuX # Powered by Twitter Tools

No writer can assume that her career is without risks. Writing stories for public consumption comes with innumerable risks. No matter what the topic, fiction or non-fiction, someone out there abhors it, is offended by it, or decides to deride it publicly. I believe writing ethnic fiction is somewhat riskier than other kinds because it deviates from the typical readers’ perception and expectations. While most Indian authors write serious literary books, I write mainstream novels with romantic elements, something I enjoy immensely. When I started writing my debut book, The Dowry Bride, I wondered if there was a market for such a story. Would any agent bother to look at a manuscript that was so outside the box? It fitted into no particular genre, the setting was unusual, the theme controversial, and the author unknown. It was “Bollywood in a Book.” It could be a perfect recipe for disaster. Nonetheless I started querying various agents. It took me a while to find the right agent. Naturally I had my share of rejections, since fiction is so subjective–one agent’s food is another agent’s poison. Editors are no different. After some effort, when three agents offered me representation, I was thrilled that…