Thursday, May 3, 2012

Behind the Veil: My Experience with Hijab By Pavarti Tyler

Hello all,
I have a very special friend today, Pavarti Tyler on my blog. She is fun, thoughtful and very talented when it comes to books. Have you heard of her latest book, Shadow On The Wall? Quite an unusual story bordering on controversy. But well, isn't it time to remove the red-tinted glasses and try another view?
Pavarti is here today with a small experience of her own. Please join me welcoming her to my blog!


Hijab is the headscarf some Muslim women wear.  There is great debate over the need, use and appropriateness of the hijab, which has fueled cultural debate and conflict.  In Islam there is a cultural practice of covering a woman’s hair and neck, this is considered modest dress and the roots of the practice are based in the Qu’ran.  There are multiple surahs (verses) and hadiths (oral histories) which are used to explain the need for men and women to dress modestly.

The specifics of what needs to be covered is controversial.  Some say only the hair must be covered, others say everything but the eyes and hands should be.  From Burquas in Afghanistan to hijabs in France, it seems everyone has an opinion.

In 2001, right after 9/11, I participated in an event called “Sisters for Solidarity.”  The sponsoring group was an interfaith movement for social awareness.  Over 200,000 women in the US donned hijab for Eid Al-Fitr, a celebration that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Somewhere in the depths of my basement there is a picture of me with a beautiful red-and-gold scarf covering my hair and neck. For three days in November, 2011, I went to work, the grocery store, church and everywhere else with my hair covered.

I could discuss the political reasons for doing this, or my own religion beliefs, but what I learned during those three days has nothing to do with either. I donned a headscarf for very personal reasons, which I believed deeply and still hold dear.  And every moment I wore it, I felt stronger in my convictions.  Something about a physical declaration of my beliefs was empowering and liberating.

I also felt a part of something.  Other women in hijab would stop, smile and speak with me no matter where we were.  It was a kind of sisterhood I haven’t experienced in other parts of my life.  Even when they found out I wasn’t Muslim, the kind response I received for what I was doing was deeply touching.

Simultaneously, I found the covering very oppressive.  It was hot under there, and kept slipping.  This was probably mostly due to my inexperience, but I found it physically cumbersome and something that needed constant monitoring.  I was also very surprised to find that a number of co-workers with whom I had been close to did not speak with me during the days I was wearing hijab. I received sideways glances on the bus and subway, not the usual smiles and commuter camaraderie I was accustomed to.

There are three female characters in my novel, Shadow on the Wall.  Each has an opinion of and relationship with wearing the hijab.  I pulled on my short experience to inform how I wrote these characters. Rebekah, Darya and Maryam - each of them represents a different archetype of Middle Eastern women.  While it's certainly not an exhaustive representation, the issues of gender and the veil are explored in depth through the course of the story. 

What I learned during the Sisters for Solidarity movement - and what I hope Shadow on the Wall conveys - is that covering is a deeply personal experience. Ideally each  woman would be able to decide for herself without the pressures of politics, family or cultural assumptions.  Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world, which is what makes the discussion so volatile. 

I’m curious as I move into publishing Shadow on the Wall how readers will feel about these women.  Which will they respond to?  With which will they identify?


Author Bio:
Pavarti K Tyler is an artist, wife, mother and number cruncher. She graduated Smith College in 1999 with a degree in Theatre. After graduation, she moved to New York, where she worked as a Dramaturge, Assistant Director and Production Manager on productions both on and off Broadway.
 Later, Pavarti went to work in the finance industry as a freelance accountant for several international law firms. She now operates her own accounting firm in the Washington DC area, where she lives with her husband, two daughters and two terrible dogs. When not preparing taxes, she is busy working at Novel Publicity and penning her next novel.
My blog is all ages: http://www.fightingmonkeypress.com
My tumblr is 18+ only: http://pavartidevi.tumblr.com/
My Fan Page needs your likes: https://www.facebook.com/#!/FMPress
My Twitter likes friends: http://twitter.com/#!/PavartiKTyler
My Google+ is random: https://plus.google.com/?gpinv=JFSVnKSj7Uk:FdjR-3NCJW8#me/posts


EXCERPT FROM SHADOW OF THE WALL:
Recai walked for what seemed like miles, resisting the instinct to second-guess his direction. The sand moved between his toes but soon he found his footing, and his body responded to the landscape as if from some genetic memory. He remembered his father’s words from a trip he took to the Oman desert as a child: Never take your shoes off; the sand will eat away at your feet. Recai had done it anyway, then and now, feeling more in control with that connection to the ground, its movements speaking to his flesh directly.
His father had always been full of surprises: one moment the strict disciplinarian, the next, he would wake Recai in the middle of the night to see a falling star. Recai had never had the chance to get to know him as an adult. Instead, he lived with the enigmatic memory of a great man lost.
Recai stood in the middle of the desert—every direction would eventually lead to Elih or one of the smaller villages scattered around the city. But who would take in a stranger? A stranger with a Hugo Boss turban and a bruised and bloodied face? In’shallah, he would be delivered to safety.





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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Inkspell Publishng Free Reads Week!

Have you checked out Inkspell Publishing's free reads this week? We are giving away free superb short stories of some of our authors. Here is a quick blurb as to what each story is about.


On March 12th, you can read Forever Yours by Shilpa Mudiganti, the author of contemporary romance novella Always You. In Forever Yours, main character Amelia loves Aaron, her fiancé. But she also loves Damon. Can one be in love with two men at the same time? How do you define infidelity? Or fidelity?
On March 13th, InkSpell releases Love, Lies and other Disasters, a contemporary romance short story by Cecilia Robert, the author of Truly, Madly, Deeply You. In Love, Lies and other Disasters, the one person Celina fought so hard to get over five years ago is back, and has kidnapped her. He says he wants a second chance to prove his love. Will she allow him to glide back into her life and heart?
On March 14th, you can read Beyond The Hidden Gate by Debbie Peterson, the author of paranormal romance novel Shadow of the Witte Wieven. In Beyond The Gate, Aynia doesn’t remember anything, save her name. Can Aeden help her remember who she is, the love they shared and the importance of the quest for which she risked her life? Or will the power of an evil warlock shatter all they hold dear?
On March 15th, InkSpell releases yet another contemporary romance short story, this time Coming Together by Naya Nikki, author of Familiar Ties. Life is complicated when you are pregnant at 17. But when the father doesn’t know and he’s marrying another right in front of you, it is bound to break your heart. What does Ellie do? Cry on her daughter’s shoulders?
Last but not least, on March 16th, author Stephanie Lawton’s short story After Taste will be released. In After Taste, nothing can shield him from the horrible dream. Nothing can protect her from a danger she can’t see.
If you want to read these mix of romantic, tense and suspenseful stories, then head over to the InkSpell Publishing website. And there’s more. Not only is InkSpell Publishing handing out free short stories to their readers, they’re also organizing a contest at the end of the week. Participants in the contest need to answer one question from each story correctly, and in return they can win a $10 Amazon Gift Card and an InkSpell novel of their choosing! What are you waiting for?
a Rafflecopter giveaway




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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Always You - My book Is Released!

Yay!! I know I am so selfish. After a month or more of writing nothing, I am writing again to announce my book release. Wee...seriously so selfish!

But my dear friends, I promise I have been a good, hard working girl to ensure that this book reaches this day. After an year of finishing the book, two publication houses and one fabulous journey to publication, I could finally face this day with pride. My small, little book Always You, a story of love, prejudice and forgiveness saw the light of the day. It has a very funny story behind it. It took me 4 Harlequin Mills & Boon books over a long weekend to motivate me to write it. I was so inspired after all the estrogen-filled books, that I knew I had to write one. I wrote one but never thought will publish it. After all, its romance and it has steamy scenes! What if my mom reads it? :O

Well, she did and she did not faint. :p

Today after a month long blog tour already where so many wonderful, dedicated book bloggers took the time to read it and review it, I have to say, I am humbled by their attention to this book. I thank all of them  from the bottom of my heart and for helping me out carve a niche for myself. You can find all of them here. I know I am asking too much, but if you have a minute, please visit at least some of them and show some love. They work hard for absolutely nothing in return. A simple hi would make their day.

I have a release party today too. Again, a wonderful group of blogs have agreed to host me. Now that is awesome and I cannot wait to go skipping to all of the blogs. It makes me all warm inside with their love. Thank you all. It means a lot to me. Here is the list. Again, if you have a few minutes, please grace their blogs:


Blogs participating:


We also have a fabulous contest where you stand a chance to win a free Always You ebook. You should totally enter this contest. Click here to enter.

I also have to thank you all for being there with me on the blog. Blogging has helped me revive my writing and without your kind comments and encouragement, I could have never made this journey. Thank you all so much. You will always be special to me.

Special thanks to my publicist, Majanka Verstraete for working so hard in arranging all this. You are mind-blowing with your job.

OK. Now I take a deep breath and reveal something else.

Today is my birthday too! :D This day will always be remembered as it is both my birthday and my book birthday. And if you are thinking of a gift for me, its very simple - Just buy my book! :D I know, I am so shameless but hey, birthday girls can demand anything right? ;)

Below are the places where you can buy my book:



If you want a print book, then WEBSTORE and BARNES & NOBLE are the place to go. AMAZON will take time to upload it. Sad but never mind!

OK, that is all the self-promotion I am going to do. I will tweet and FB a lot about my boo tomorrow. So, please bear with me. Remember you cannot scold a birthday girl! Haha...

Wishing myself a very happy book birthday! Hope you all get a chance to read my book and enjoy it!

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