Grand Finale Book Tour Featuring *Under the Shade of the Banyan Tree* by Simi K. Rao @simikrao @prismbooktours #giveaway
Launch – Author Interview
Under the Shade of the Banyan Tree is a compilation of poems and short stories. The poems were written over several years. A friend recommended I publish them. Subsequently, I was advised that a book of poems is not necessarily palatable to a lot of people. Hence the idea of adding the short stories to reach more readers.
Gods recline and meditate
Yogis attain nirvana
Banias conduct business
Councils assemble and confer…
Loneliness
Introducing Loneliness,
your constant companion
You lie if you say you don’t know me…
The Witching Hour
I watched the dense thicket of clouds slide over the giant luminous cookie in the sky. A pitch-black darkness descended over the neighborhood, and there was not a single streetlamp to mar it. It appeared that All Saints Eve was going to live up to its reputation after all. I glanced at my companion. I could tell she was thinking the same…
A Cup of Tea
A cup of tea
is a fuzzy, warm morning
flicking aside the blanket of night…
A Cup of Chai
(A Short Story)
Roma admired the okra. Long, slender green pods neatly arranged in parallel rows in the opened crate. They were fresh, therefore presumably good, yet she went through the process of selecting them individually. She bent their tips, applying slight pressure with her fingers and chose the ones that broke with a sharp snap…
Mundane
We run around everyday
busying ourselves in a mundane routine
Getting the kids off to school
soccer practice, summer camp…
Unbelievable
I am
Abnormal
Unconventional
Abominable
Unafraid…
The Witching Hour
(A Short Story)
Suddenly, the wind came rushing by our feet. It gathered up the leaves and they danced and twirled in the middle of the street…
Jaded
Being me
Happy in my own skin
No hang ups,
or stress of fitting in…
Windows
Clean, plain, open, closed, bright,
light, shaded, paned, shuttered, blinded, boarded,
rusty, dirty, smoky windows.
broken, shattered, run down windows…
The Ritual
(A Short Story)
It happened at one of the five-star hotels, Marriott I think, the fancy one in Juhu. Thank heavens it wasn’t at his home…
About the Author
Simi K. Rao was born and grew up in India before relocating to the U.S., where she has lived for several years. The inspiration for her books, and other projects, comes from her work and experience with cross-cultural traditions, lifestyles, and familial relationships. Rao enjoys exploring the dynamics of contemporary American culture blended with Indian customs and heritage to reflect the challenges and opportunities many Indian American women face in real life. She is a practicing physician, and much of her down time is devoted to creative pursuits, including writing fiction and poetry, and photography. She is also an avid reader and traveler and has visited many locations around the world. She has written four novels. Under the Shade of the Banyan Tree is her first collection of poems and short stories. She is currently working on a new novel. She lives in Denver with her family. To learn more about Simi or her books, visit SimiKRao.com or find her on Facebook.
Tour Giveaway
Two winners will each receive an ebook of Under the Shade of the Banyan Tree by Simi K. Rao (US only)
Ends August 5, 2020
