This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Coming back from India about a month ago, I was hit with the reality of an upper respiratory virus so I laid low. And then there was all hell breaking loose in government—which continues. It took a while for me to take a deep breath and want to … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I’d planned to write in detail about my travels in India, but it’s been a hard day for me to concentrate. In Washington D.C. , the new administration appears to want to shut down many of the services the Federal Government provides to the people. An erasure of … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Happy New Year’s Day! And think of me right now, rolling along the streets of Bengalaru with my carry-on suitcase. Hopefully, all that I’ve crammed into the hardshell for a 2-week trip will actually get worn. Packing is an acquired wisdom, and every trip I take teaches me … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. My family settled in Minnesota when I was seven. You’d think the Laura Ingalls Wilder books set in the prairies around the state would be the perfect fit for a book-loving, history fanatic. I liked them because they were set in the past, but I was obsessed with … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Friends, I am back in India. It turned out that my wonderful October-November visit to India was not fulfilling enough. During that two-week journey, I’d gathered the information to finish one Perveen mystery; but now I was itching to learn more about Kerala for a subsequent book. … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. It was just 4:30 in the morning when my husband Tony and I arrived in Mumbai on a middle-of-the-night flight from Kochi. I was tired, but not too tired to notice that Mumbai’s domestic terminal had really spiffed up its décor, restrooms and shops. It was easy to … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. It feels like only yesterday that I was driving out of Kumarakom Village, in the Kottayam district near Lake Vembanad. That’s how much of lasting impact the gorgeous, green state of Kerala in South India has, even on my fifth visit. From Kumarakom, it was 53 kilometers north … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I’ve just returned from two weeks in India, utterly tired but happy to have gone. It’s interesting that while I have lingering jet lag for a week on this end, I felt only a little tired during first two days of my time there. Perhaps because Kerala is … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. At birth, we are given a name that’s not our choice, but that of our parents or guardians. It also can happen on a macro-level when you think of the names of countries. And when we understand how people outside the home react to our name—our self-image develops. … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Last week, I had the pleasure of celebrating Diwali, an Indian holiday that threatens to become as well-known in the U.S. as Halloween is now in Asia. Diwali awareness has risen to such a level that Amazon sells Diwali lights, and the New York Times published a Diwali … Read more