Thank you for tuning in to learn more about the context behind the story in AGAINST THE ODDS OF TRADITION, my debut Women’s Historical Fiction novel. The eBook is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Paperback and Hardcover will be officially released on March 1^st, two days before the Holi Festival of Colors on March 3^rd, to celebrate the blooming of Meena’s life along with the upcoming Spring in ours.

This will be my last post on the context until after the official release in March. I will be spending the month of February strategizing marketing in preparation for all formats to become available for purchase. If you buy the book, then, first, thank you! Second, I hope you will read it and write an honest review on Amazon. It will help others learn more and make the right decision for themselves on whether to purchase this book. Thank you, in advance, for all your support.

Last week, I wrote a little bit about interracial love and marriage being a big part of the context for this story. Even though interracial marriages had been common in India since the British first began settling there in the 1700s, they came to be discouraged by the early to mid-1800s by a government worried about the dilution of its race. Purebreds, those 100% English, were the preferred future of the Empire over Anglo-Indians born from English fathers and Indian mothers.

As a result, even though Anglo-Indians received preferential treatment so they would turn into loyal subjects of the crown, they were never considered equals to purebreds. By the 20^th century, interracial marriages were tolerated but with plenty of frowning, finger wagging, and more direct consequences to those who entered one. Englishmen, for instance, risked their professional futures and losing opportunities to those with pure English marriages to Englishwomen.

Indian women, on the other hand, risked everything. They risked being cast out of their families and communities for marrying outside their religions and castes, to be never accepted back. They risked being abandoned by their English husbands or partners, and having nowhere to turn except, in most cases, brothels. They risked their children being disowned by their fathers and being raised in orphanages or, once again, brothels. Lucky were the women who did not face these risks.

Would Meena be this lucky in her decision to cross racial and religious boundaries to have a life forbidden for her? Or would she be one of the unlucky ones who loses it all and ends up alone? After March 1^st, you can read the book and find out!

The next post on promotions and bonuses will be released this Friday, January 23^rd. Subscribers will receive it via email on Saturday the 24^th. Non-subscribers can receive automatic updates by subscribing to my monthly newsletter “That’s a Wrap!”. Each month, you will learn about key upcoming dates on the book, free book and movie recommendations, and chances to be featured in a future newsletter and/or blog. Thank you.

Amazon Book Page: Against the Odds of Tradition

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