Just finished watching Goodbye Lenin on your reco. Very nice film! Just the kind I like – a story, not a VFX fantasy extravaganza (said the author of several such epic extravaganzas!), simply done. Really liked it – on par with The Lives of Others.

Ashok

LOL! Indeed paws only intended for books bro:)

British food can take a bit of getting use too, I mean would anyone really want to eat a mince pie that actually had meat mince in it?!? (thankfully most places stick to apples, currents and veg suet thesedays)!

But hey dude, butter and cream make everything taste good right!! Lol !!

I agree with you, nothing can beat homemade food! When I was away from home at University in the north of England there was no Gujarati food around just ‘take always’ serving what looked like road kill! Mind you it certainly made me appreciate what I took for granted at home and whenever I came back to London all I wanted was good simple veg.

‘Burns you going in, burns you going out’ LOL!! That’s the way it should always be bro, If Im not working up a sweat during a meal then there’s something missing for sure!

May you curries always be spicy and you Roti always buttered

Anand

like my pies with a hint of spice and a vanilla frosting!! lol!

Hmm. Reminds me of the cooking of one my British cousins (from Kent). Everything tastes like a pie and has loads of butter and fresh cream in it – and a ‘hint of spice’! (Including the meat dishes.) Lol. Me, I personally rebel against my ‘firangi’ roots and much prefer simple old desi food, spicier the better. (Burns you going in, burns you going out, as my old Nana used to say, bless her soul.)

Good cooking amigos!

No doubt I’ll catch you later when I get my paws on SOS.

You can try, and sure, you’ll get your paws on SoS, but I’m more elusive, mein yaar! Still, you can always catch me right here anytime. :~)

Ashok

Sorry, just saw your comment now: Yes, of course, you can have it picked up today or tomorrow – it’s signed and kept aside for you. :~)

Ashok

Yeah I ‘get’ where you are coming from bro with keep it to yourself until its done. Makes sense, we can all get carried away at times but I guess you can only taste a pie once its cooked not before so!! So Ashokbro I wish you all the best in the ‘kitchen’, I like my pies with a hint of spice and a vanilla frosting!! lol!

Good cooking amigos!

No doubt I’ll catch you later when I get my paws on SOS.

Anand

Can I collect the VoR today? Please let me know.

Regards,

Jesal.

No, I’m not trying to avoid going into details – you see, all my work is done instinctively. I often literally have no clue how I’m going to write something – or at best, I have a vague idea – and it all “happens” in the process of writing itself. So I’ve learned over the years not to shoot my mouth off too much about stuff beforehand. All I can tell you is what I “feel” and “see” about the book – sort of like reading a back cover blurb – which you could say is my intention. How well I live up to that intention is something you’ll have to judge for yourself (as will I). :~)

Thanks for the recos again – will look them up asap.

Best

Ashok

Hope all is well, really pleased to hear the V: books with continue in the same pov, I really found that it added to the experience, you feel a part of the action/drama/situation as appose to some dude standing on the other side of the road just watching it whizz by!!

I kinda knew there was a interconnectedness (a term Ive borrowed from the late Douglas Adams and the legendary Dirk Gently!) but I guess I was fishing for more information about how thats going to happen…but That would take away from the experience so Im gonna stop snooping…for now!! Lol! Since you’ve been kind enough to give a hint about what’s instore in V:P I should quit while Im ahead!

I really like the way you’ve set the ball rolling, as the stories in the individual books have been great reads by themselves and as the mosaic starts to take shape Im sure there will be even greater pleasure to be had. Certainly after reading VoR after GoW and V:S there is a greater perspective offered, I can’t imagine how or where you are going to take us over the remaining books…but no doubt its gonna be a fantastic journey and one hell of a ride!:)

O yeah just a couple more films you may have seen already but if not they are worth a peek! ‘Goodbye Lennin’ and the visually awesome ‘Sakuran’.

All the best dude, Rock on!

Anand

Was offline most of today due to connectivity issues.

I’m guessing when a new character presents themselves to you it provides an opportunity to delve deeper into what might make them tick, certainly seemed the case with the Vetals even though its was relatively short book, they family came across really well.

I think the first person pov helped a lot in that regard. That’s why I chose to use that method. Being a short book, if I’d used third person pov, the story would have moved much faster – too fast, IMO – and we wouldn’t have been able to get into the heads of each person as effectively. I’m using the same first person pov in the whole Vortal Codex, all five books for the same reason – it gives me a chance to explore different characters while telling exciting stories. :~)

WOW!! V:P Sounds off the hook dude!! Arabian fantasy mixing it up with the Vortal is gonna ensure some serious pandemonium!! That sounds like its gonna be a blast!!

Everything Hollywood tries to give you in a summer spectacular – and almost never delivers, apart from the expensive VFX! Lol. But yes, count on V:P being a terrific thrill-ride.

Will the Vortal series and the following ups to GoW link up?

Oh yes – I thought you knew that already. The introduction to VoR mentions it quite clearly. Besides, there’s a deliberate use of the recurring motif of ‘five’. Five books in the Vortal Codex, five books in the Gods of War quintet, five major characters in both series…and both series are linked to my Mba which of course has five major characters as well.

Of course, each series will follow its own path and can be read quite independently of the others – you’ve already seen how different V:S is from GoW and both are from VoR. But if you read all the books, you’ll get the ‘big picture’, sort of like a mosaic that fits together. :~)

Ashok

LOL!! My cockney roots are quite evident with my biased sentiments to the north of England! Once I finish the Millennium Trilogy I reckon
I’ll line up P. Robinson’s Inspector Banks novels.

I’m guessing when a new character presents themselves to you it provides an opportunity to delve deeper into what might make them tick, certainly seemed the case with the Vetals even though its was relatively short book, they family came across really well.

WOW!! V:P Sounds off the hook dude!! Arabian fantasy mixing it up with the Vortal is gonna ensure some serious pandemonium!! That sounds like its gonna be a blast!!

Will the Vortal series and the following ups to GoW link up?

Anand