We’re celebrating the release day party today for children’s
picture book “Rani in Search of a Rainbow”.
About the Book
Title: Rani in
Search of a Rainbow
Author: Shaila
Abdullah
Genre:
Children’s Picture Book
Displaced by the Pakistan floods, Rani’s
family has taken refuge at a relief camp where they are doing their part to
help other flood victims. Eight-year old Rani wants to assist but doesn’t know
how. Heeding the advice of her father to help in a way only children can, Rani
embarks on a journey to bring true joy to a dear friend on the occasion of Eid.
Get
your copy of the book!
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rani-Search-Rainbow-Disaster-Survival/dp/1615992413/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1415820729&sr=1-2-fkmr0
Author
Bio
Shaila Abdullah is an award-winning author and designer
based in Austin, Texas. She is the author of four books: Saffron Dreams,
Beyond the Cayenne Wall, My Friend Suhana, and A Manual for Marco.
The author has received several awards for her work including the Golden Quill
Award and Patras Bukhari Award for English Language. Several academic
institutions have adopted her books as course study or recommended reading,
including the University of California, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
Indiana University, Boston University, California State University, and George
Washington University. Learn more about the author at www.ShailaAbdullah.com.
Links
Interview:
What were you like at school?
I was a
quiet rebel. What it means is that I wasn’t defiant in a visible manner but I
showed it through my action, or rather non-action. For instance, despite being
smart, I would deliberately not apply myself. It wasn’t until eighth grade that
I realized that my slacking off was causing harm to no one else but myself.
Were you good at English?
Yes. As a teenager, I used to
write for various English language publications in Pakistan and even did some
commissioned work for a major magazine and newspaper.
What are your ambitions for your
writing career?
I write to
inspire minds, improve lives, and create awareness. Financial gain has never
been a goal of mine in this journey.
Which writers inspire you?
Eckhart Tolle has by far been the most inspiring writer I have ever read.
Eckhart Tolle has by far been the most inspiring writer I have ever read.
So, what have you written?
(*Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, awards or anything of interest.)
(*Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, awards or anything of interest.)
My first book––Beyond the Cayenne Wall–– is a collection of
stories about Pakistani women struggling to find their individualities despite
the barriers imposed by society.
My second
book is a novel called Saffron Dreams about
a 9/11 Muslim widow. It has won many awards and it is taught at many major
colleges and universities.
My third book is My Friend Suhana. I coauthored it with
my daughter, and it deals with her friendship with a girl who has cerebral
palsy.
My fourth book that was just
released is titled Rani in Search of a
Rainbow. It is based on the 2010 floods in Pakistan that affected 20
million people. Nearly 8.6 million of them were children.
Where can we buy or see them? (* include American, European
and any other relevant links. Free, free promotions or prices can be included)
Saffron Dreams: http://www.amazon.com/Saffron-Dreams-Reflections-America-Abdullah/dp/1932690735/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1398090621&sr=8-1
Saffron Dreams: http://www.amazon.com/Saffron-Dreams-Reflections-America-Abdullah/dp/1932690735/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1398090621&sr=8-1
Beyond the
Cayenne Wall: http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Cayenne-Wall-Collection-
My Friend Suhana: http://www.amazon.com/My-Friend-Suhana-Friendship-Cerebral/dp/1615992111/ref=asap_B001JOX9HC_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417991160&sr=1-2
Rani in Search of a Rainbow: http://www.amazon.com/Rani-Search-Rainbow-Disaster-Survival/dp/1615992413/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417991205&sr=1-1&keywords=rani++in+search
Give us an insight into your main
character. What does he/she do that is so special?
Rani in Search of a Rainbow is based on the 2010 floods in Pakistan that
affected 20 million people. Nearly 8.6 million of them were children. When the
floods came to her tiny village in Sind, there was no braving it out for Rani
and her family. The 8-year-old fled on foot with her family and other
villagers, leaving behind her whole life–her home, school, friends, and
belongings. Her family was airlifted to safety by a disaster relief
organization and brought to a refugee camp. Gone was the life Rani once knew,
adapting instead to life in a camp. Inspired by the assistance her family was
providing in various capacities at the camp, Rani embarked on a journey to find
ways in which she could help others––and in doing so was able to bring great
joy to her friend on the celebration of the Muslim festival of Eid.
What are you working on at the
minute?
I finished working on the advance
reading copies of my third children’s book called A Manual for Marco that will come out in February 2015.
What’s it about? (*if relevant)
A Manual for Marco is written from the perspective
of an autistic child’s sibling and includes tips and suggestions to help
siblings deal with their unique situation and how parents can help make
accommodations for their differently abled children.
What genre are your books?
Two of my
books are multicultural fiction for adults while the three picture books are
for children.
What draws you to this genre?
Multicultural fiction was always
my first love so it was natural for me to start my writing career with two
books for adults in that genre. After that, I was ready for a new challenge. I
decided to write for the young ones since I felt better prepared to handle that
genre after motherhood.
How much research do you do?
Rigorous. Of
course the two books for adults called for month and months of solid research
into the lives of Pakistani women, the event of 9/11, the geography of New
York, CHARGE syndrome, etc. The research for the children’s books was less
intense.
What would you like
my readers to know?
Authors are
ordinary people. Do not put them on a pedestal. They are uncomfortable with
that. Many times they are terrified when they go to book readings and signings (so
be gentle in your QA). Surround your children with books you will see the
effects of it in 5-10 years or even longer. My advice to any aspiring writer is
this: enter this field if you are not afraid of rejection and can take
criticism well. Write with humble goals in mind and don’t make fame your main
objective. Finally, work hard to finesse your work and make persistence your
friend. Do this all out of your own
personal love for writing.
Giveaway
There’s a tour-wide giveaway for 5 print copies of the book, and a
$25 Amazon gift card.
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