A Sweet, Multicultural Romance
Haripriya Sanyal sees herself as an all-American
Indian-American, and is not happy when her parents arrange for her to wed a
virtual stranger—but can Bollywood-handsome Namdev Chakrabarty charm her into
accepting their mutual fate?
EXCERPT:
Alone with Namdev at last, I stared down at my hands to see
them trembling, revealing the vulnerability I felt. It was hard not knowing if
he found me attractive or lovely before I would need to reveal myself to him. I
had rather large, wide-set eyes. Would he think them pretty or imperfect? As
much as I liked to stay active, I also enjoyed eating good food and had a curvy
if not chubby figure. Would he wish me more slender, or be happy with the
squeezable parts of me? Would he love to listen to me sing or hate to hear my
slightly nasally giggle about which I was already self-conscious? Would he find
my personality too fussy, or my way of moving as graceful as I’d been told I
was those years ago when I’d studied Indian classical dance?
To be fair, I knew this worked both
ways. While Namdev might have been able to figure out that I thought he was
cute based on the number of interested looks I’d given him in the past, he had
no way of knowing whether I would welcome being close with him—because I had no
way of knowing that myself. Not yet.
When a
knock came at the front door of our suite, I let him answer it while I
continued to unpack and tried to make myself loosen up at least a little. But
then he walked back into the bedroom holding a gigantic bouquet of tropical
flowers in a vase so huge they hid his face. He placed them atop one of the
bureaus and turned to me with a sweet smile. He took the card from the bouquet
and held it out.
I opened it
and read out loud, “‘Call this our version of the flower-bed ceremony’”—I felt
my face heat with a blush, knowing he meant the phool sajja—“‘and then let’s start enjoying the rest of our life
together.’” When I glanced up, he was watching me hopefully, questioningly. I
looked from the card to the flowers to him, and gave a chuckle.
“This is perfect,” I said. “Thank
you.” It was the first time I’d relaxed, even a little bit, in weeks.
“Thank you again?” he asked teasingly.
“Thank you
again,” I confirmed with a nod.
When he
opened his arms to me then, I stepped into his hug and released a sigh of
relief and contentment.
AUTHOR BIO:
Maggie Adams believes she was born to be a writer—but it
took awhile for her to figure that out. She grew up in North
Carolina, then went “up north” to college (first to Virginia, then to upstate New York). Unable to decide what interested
her most, she majored in anthropology, Spanish and English, and studied voice.
It wasn’t until she married and her husband entered graduate school that Maggie
figured out what she wanted to do with her own life. They’ve lived in southern California, the Caribbean island
of Trinidad, and now New York City—so thankfully, writing is a
career that travels well. She writes “sweet” secular and Christian fiction as
Maggie Adams, and mystery stories as Rhett Shepard; she also writes poetry and
literary fiction as Margaret Adams Birth and short nonfiction as Margaret
Birth, and has spent over a decade freelancing for multiple publishers as a
manuscript reader, proofreader, and copy editor. You can follow her writing
news by giving her author page a “like” at www.facebook.com/MaggieAdamsRhettShepard.
REVIEWS/NOTICES/AWARDS:
“Sweet and well-written. Adams’s
story is about family, duty and finding love after the I-do's.”
~ Maria Ferrer, President, Romance Writers
of America, New York City
chapter
“Bride at First Sight
is a love story that is as rich, beautiful, and finely woven as a gold-threaded
sari. Maggie Adams crafts a wonderfully written tale of love's power amid a
clash of cultures. I highly recommend this terrific, emotionally charged story.
. . .”
~ Award-winning author Cara Marsi
Why Did Maggie Write This Novel?
I got the idea for BRIDE AT FIRST SIGHT while looking through photographs from when I lived in Trinidad—thinking about one dear friend in particular,
whose Hindu wedding and related festivities I was honored to attend. Hers was
an arranged marriage much like that of my character Haripriya: she knew her
groom before their wedding day, but not well, and came to fall deeply in love
with him in the months and years that followed. I now live in New
York City, in a neighborhood with immigrants and descendants of
immigrants from Trinidad, Guyana and India,
among other places; many of my friends here work hard to keep their families’
religious and cultural practices from their home countries, or to adapt them to
what they find here in the U.S.
When these ideas from Trinidad and New
York City merged in my brain, it inspired BRIDE AT FIRST SIGHT!
Tell Us Something Topical, Interesting, Funny, or Something We Would Not Expect About the Writing or Research For This Story.
While in the process of writing Bride at First Sight, I was invited to
an Upanayam (Janeu) Sanskar—a Hindu
initiation ritual in which a youth, typically of the Brahmin caste, commits to
religious learning from a guru—for two boys with whose family I’m friends.
I wasn’t sure how to dress or
present myself as a Christian guest at this ceremony, so I sought counsel at a
local sari shop, where they outfitted me in a pretty pink kurti (tunic-style top) and advised me to wear it with an
American-style skirt. I learned that giving gifts to the celebrants was also
acceptable.
When I lived in Trinidad,
people from different religions would share their special events and holidays
with each other. This reminder—the Upanayam
(Janeu) Sanskar—of the immeasurable value and joy to be found in such
sharing among a diverse community of friends further inspired my writing.
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Congratulations on a beautiful novel! I love how part of your inspiration came from New York City!
ReplyDeleteLove your cover!
ReplyDeleteWe have wonderful friends in Trinidad. I bet you've got a few stories from life on the island. :-)
Congratulations and all the best!
I love this story. I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a touching story, showing true love. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful story! I read it when it was first released and can't recommend it enough. I always enjoy learning about other cultures.
ReplyDeleteVery nice!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Margaret! I love your cover.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your excerpt. Your story sounds wonderful and your cover is absolutely gorgeous! Best of luck with your release.
ReplyDelete~Adele
A lovely & tender excerpt and my goodness what great background info I'm learning about Maggie! I think it was a wonderfully inspired idea - not to mention a courageous one - to craft a love story in a world not first nature to you. I hope more authors follow your example and spread their creative wings!
ReplyDelete