Goodbye (and good riddance) 2023

Posted on December 29, 2023 by Rati Mehrotra

Hello, hello. It’s been a while since I posted. Some quick writerly news first. Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove is getting both a Russian and a Spanish translation. I’m delighted, because I’m a firm believer in cross cultural pollination. The more translations that exist, the more bridges people can choose to walk across and meet each other. Continue reading →

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Flower and Thorn Book Launch and Reviews

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Rati Mehrotra

It’s October, my book release month! I received the finished copies of FLOWER AND THORN and they’re just gorgeous. The book is out on 17th October, but I’ll be doing a launch in-person at my favorite local bookstore Bakka Phoenix Books on 21 October at 3 pm. Link to event page is here. If you’re in the GTA and enjoy reading fantasy, I hope to see you! The first chapter is free to read if you want to try it out. If you can’t make it and want a signed copy, you can pre-order from the store and they will ship it to you. Make sure you let them know you want it signed. Continue reading →

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Character Sun Signs

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Rati Mehrotra

Do you ever think about the sun signs of the characters in the books you read or the shows you watch? I do, and I always know my main characters’ sun signs when I write them. Not to be superstitious, but it’s a fun exercise, and one way to develop characters on the page. If you’ve read my books and are curious, here are the sun signs of all the major characters! Continue reading →

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International giveaway for FLOWER AND THORN

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Rati Mehrotra

Hello! Hope everyone is having a great summer. I just received my ARCs (advance reader copies) of Flower and Thorn. Isn’t it pretty? To celebrate, I’m doing an international giveaway for one signed copy! The giveaway ends on 31 July. I will pick a winner at random and announce on 1 August. Details here. All you need is an Instagram account. Continue reading →

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Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove: an Aurora Award finalist!

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Rati Mehrotra

Delighted to share that Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove is a 2023 Aurora Award nominee for Best Young Adult Novel! You can view the entire ballot here. The Aurora Awards are Canada’s annual English-language Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards and I am so thrilled my medieval Indian fantasy is a finalist. Continue reading →

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Map for FLOWER AND THORN

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Rati Mehrotra

It’s April and Spring is in the air! Despite falling to -7C two days ago, lol. That’s Toronto for you. But the birds are back! Spotted in the last week during my daily walk: starlings, robins, red-winged blackbirds, dark-eyed juncos, grackles, red cardinals, swallows, house finches, and geese. I love this time of year. Continue reading →

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Story Day! Amma’s Kitchen in The Deadlands

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Rati Mehrotra

Story days are happy days! I am delighted to share my latest publication, a short story about food, death, the afterlife, and one very special frog: Amma’s Kitchen in The Deadlands, Issue 22. I love the fiction and poetry published by this magazine and am so happy to have placed my work there. I can’t think of a better home for this story, which is my very own take on the folkloric ferryman/woman who ferries souls in the afterlife. The story is free to read online. Continue reading →

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Flower and Thorn: A brief history of early 16th century India

Posted on February 5, 2023 by Rati Mehrotra

Now that the cover for my next YA Fantasy book Flower and Thorn has been revealed, and we have a firm date for publication (17 October 2023), I wanted to talk a little bit about the historical background of the book. It is set in an alternate sixteenth century India near the beginning of European colonization of the Indian subcontinent. While it is a fantasy, and all characters and settings are used fictitiously, it is the most ‘historical’ book I’ve written and I wanted to give some background to interested readers. Buckle up, this is a long ride. Continue reading →

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Cover Reveal: Flower and Thorn

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Rati Mehrotra

I am thrilled to share the beautiful cover of Flower and Thorn – my second YA fantasy novel! It will be released on 17 October 2023 from Wednesday Books. This is also a medieval Indian fantasy, like my previous book Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove, but is set in a different world. It is the most ‘historical’ book I’ve written. It is set in the Gujarat Sultanate in the early sixteenth century, at the time of the Portuguese invasion. It was the beginning of European colonization of the subcontinent, and the time period was fascinating for me to research. Continue reading →

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One Day in the Afterlife of Detective Roshni Chaddha

Posted on December 9, 2022 by Rati Mehrotra

Story days are the best days! Delighted to announce that my little novelette One Day in the Afterlife of Detective Roshni Chaddha is now live at Lightspeed Magazine. It’s a supernatural detective story featuring an inept messenger of death, a dashing afterlife policeman, an evil villain, an unreliable ghost, a missing soul, and a Coffee House with a delectable menu. It was very fun for me to write and I hope it will be fun for you to read as well. Continue reading →

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