SHOBANA'S MUSINGS: Winning An Award - The Ultimate Satisfaction

I wrote an article in my last newsletter titled, Do You Feel Anxious When You Submit a Book for Review, which in turn was published by @PatriciaJRullo on the SpeakupTalk Radio.com blog, Blogatini, as a guest post.

Patricia shared the guest post on Instagram, and that's when I had the happiest news that my book, Where the Rain Falls, which I had submitted for the Firebird Book Awards had won (First Quarter 2023 Firebird Book Award)

Epic – Shobana Gomes

This book is very special to me. I began writing it in 2021. I suddenly thought of how the world was reeling in a pandemic situation and the subject of drought came to mind. As I was writing the book, the story unfolded like the flowing waters of the river. I couldn't wait to finish the chapters, always wondering how it would end. And, at the end of 2021, I sent it to a publication. The answer came back that they would not be accepting the book at that moment in time.

I kept it on file after that, every time the book was at the back of my mind. Usually, my stories are research-based so I thought maybe it needed more work on it and each time I edited it, it didn't seem right. There are stories told, led and written and mine was led by a higher hand so it was hard for me to edit it. So, I thought I would self-publish it. Maybe someday:)

However, I published it on Amazon in February this year, 2023. Then, as I was browsing through Google News a couple of days after that, I read about the Euphrates River drying up. I thought what a coincidence as I had written about the river drying up in my story and how a family survives the drought. It was like an encounter between the past and the present.

This book had some of the most awesome reviews on Amazon and reached the No.1 top-seller list under ancient and classical literature a couple of days after publication. Thank you, Patricia, and to all my readers who have made it even more special for me to know that it has touched you somehow.

-shobana-