Happy Dassera–and a free Ramayana book!
Here’s wishing all of you a very happy Vijaydashami and Dassera!
I don’t personally believe in black and white, good and evil, so I won’t wish away darkness from your life, instead I wish that the darkness in your life is a benign one and that you shine like a diya on the darkest days.
Remember that the names Rama and Krishna both mean ‘Black’ and that makes even more sense.
To show my appreciation for the support of my readers, I’m also offering a free copy of one of my Ramayana hardcover editions (each containing two of the paperback texts) to be sent by courier at my expense anywhere in India to the first reader who comments on the Readerswrite page following this announcement.
Some of you know that I have sent several such free copies out before, often without needing an occasion–I’ve even sent copies overseas at my expense at times to readers who couldn’t get hold of the books in foreign countries.
As always, there are no strings attached, and no hoops to jump through. Just write a comment asking for the copy and type in your email ID in the relevant slot of the comments box, and I’ll email you and ask for your land address and next thing you know the copy will be on its way to you. As simple as that!
Anyone is eligible, no conditions or questions asked.
Go for it!
RECENTLY READ (October-November 2007)
Hindu Scriptures Edited and Translated by Dominic Goodall
Krishna: The Beautiful Legend of God (Srimad Bhagavata Purana Book X)
The Witches of Eileanan by Kate Forsyth
The Origins of Evil in Hindu Mythology by Wendy Doniger Flaherty
The Great Moghuls by Ebrahim Eraly
Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales
Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine
Fantasy: The 100 Best Books Edited by James Cawthorne and Michael Moorcock
Preacher: Vol. 1 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon
Mirror, Window: An Artbabe Collection by Jessica Abel
The Brief History of The Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
DMZ Vol. 1: On the Ground by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli
Summer Blonde by Adrian Tomine
Tricked by Alex Robinson
Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson
The Cult of Draupadi, Vol. 1, Mythologies: From Gingee to Kuruksetra by Alf Hiltebeitel
The Ritual of Battle: Krishna in the Mahabharata by Alf Hiltebeitel
The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry: Vol. 1: Modern Poetry, Third Edition, Edited by Jahan Ramazani, Richard Ellmann, Robert O’Clair
Sometimes the Magic Works by Terry Brooks
B.P.R.D. Hollow Earth & Other Stories by Mike Mignola and others
Chatting out of the box
I’ve brought back the Live Chat Box (C-Box) by popular demand. You’ll find it on the Readerswrite Page. Just scroll down and look for it in the right-hand menu bar.
The C-Box is meant for short, ‘instant’ chats. Longer, more detailed messages and questions are still better left in the usual Comments box at the bottom (left) of the page.
From time to time, I’ll post a date and time schedule for live chats. At that time, you can log in to the C-Box and chat with me live. That’s what the C-Box is meant for!
Sold out on pre-order! 
Available only from me directly. 
Available only from me directly. 
Available only from me directly. 