Southern Life, Indian Wife - Sheryl Parbhoo Podcast

This Sunday millions of people around the world will celebrate the Indian holiday of Diwali. The “Festival Of Lights” has fascinated me for the longest time but to be honest I never really understood what it was all about, we always treated it like an “Indian Christmas”. So today I invited author Anju Gattani onto the podcast to walk me through the Diwali celebration; how it compares to western holidays, the preparations that go into it, and what Diwali’s origins are.  Along the way we discuss her incredible experiences growing up in a multicultural community in Hong Kong (1:47), how Diwali compares to the American holiday season (4:28), exactly how Diwali is celebrated (5:30), the unique Diwali celebrations she experienced growing up (12:12)--including diverse Diwali Balls she attended (13:25). Anju and I spoke about the Indian culture’s love of celebrations (15:48), how she integrates Indian and Western traditions in her household (18:44), why she labors to keep up with both Indian and American holidays (21:09), how exposure to other culture’s celebrations is teaching her children respect (22:23), and how she portrayed Diwali in her novel Duty and Desire (29:09). Read Anju’s blog and find more information about her books on her official website. Make sure to follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple  Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Tunein. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagram and Twitter! Support the show.

Today previous podcast guest Heather Dobson joins me once again; in our last conversation we discussed life, chasing ghosts, and some of her more astonishing experiences with Paranormal Georgia Investigators. This time around, Heather and I examine our writing processes; she poured a lot of herself into her book, Memoirs of a Future Ghost, we talk at length about the therapeutic process of spilling your guts out onto the page for both non-fiction and fiction stories. Heather tells me how writing her memoir was therapeutic for her (2:05), we discuss how there's always some nugget of truth in every book--even fiction (4:37), why we both disguise some real life characters in our writing (11:49), how we're constantly learning--especially through bad experiences (17:05), why we both thrive on alone time as writers (19:55), how eating chocolate and watching 80s TV--especially TJ Hooker--helps Heather cope with writing about tough subjects (22:25), we discuss some of our favorite memoirs we read and why Heather is obsessed with British royals (23:20), and we offer up some advice for aspiring authors (31:54) including the reality that its perfectly ok to suck (34:33)! Learn all about Heather Dobson and get your signed copy of Memoirs of a Future Ghost, find her here: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and her website and Paranormal Georgia Investigators. Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple  Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Tunein. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagram and Twitter! Support the show.

Imagine moving from the US to India in your late 20s for work, only to fall in love with the people and their culture; now imagine meeting and marrying an Indian man who spent his late 20s in the United States. That experience would likely give you and your husband a fairly unique worldview to say the least. This week I’m joined by Jessica Kumar who, along with husband Abhishek, co-hosts The Invisible India Podcast which highlights lesser known facts of Indian culture from the perspective of a returning NRI--non-resident Indian--and an American living in India. Abhishek and Jessica are a cross-cultural couple exploring the mysteries of Indian culture and current social issues through conducting interviews with various experts, sharing personal experiences.  We discuss Jessica’s move from Chicago to India (1:16), her exposure to Indian culture (6:38), meeting her future husband (9:11), how she and Abhishek have blended their cultures (13:20), how they’ve adapted despite most in husband's family coming from arranged marriages (16:41), their strategy for revealing mixed-relationship to traditional Indian family (22:47), Jessica provides some choice advice for individuals going through a similar journey (25:25), she reveals the biggest-positive impact Indian culture has had on her life (28:24), the conscious vs unconscious changes she’s noticed after years of exposure to Indian culture (30:06), finally Jessica lays out her long-term goals for The Invisible India Podcast (32:51). You can find Jessica and The Invisible India Podcast everywhere you download podcasts (iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, etc) and on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.   Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts  and TuneIn. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagramand Twitter! And…email me at sherylparbhoo@gmail.com to order a signed copy of my book The Unexpected Daughter. Support the show.

Can you imagine going to your dream college 7000 miles from home? My guest today is New York University sophomore Amin Ali and he did just that. I met Amin last year on dorm move in day, he had the privilege--or maybe the bad luck--to bunk right next to my son. I followed Amin's freshman year story, was fascinated by his journey, and--as a mama--I wanted to know more about him.  Amin and I connected over love of authentic middle eastern food (4:38), he told me about growing up in his native Pakistan (7:04), how his sister--Top Chef alum Fatima Ali--fell in love with cooking (14:51), his decision to move to New York for school (19:09), how Fatima inspired him to follow his dreams at NYU (20:50), how he shares his culture with Americans (23:28), Amin told me about some of the foods he misses from home (26:28), why he’s obsessed with NYC halal carts (27:40), we discuss his potential plans to return to Pakistan after college (28:43), and how his relationship with his siblings has evolved over time (29:54). Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts  and TuneIn. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagramand Twitter! And…email me at sherylparbhoo@gmail.com to order a signed copy of my book The Unexpected Daughter. Support the show.

An author's journey often begins with a simple love of reading and many of us embrace that love by spending some quality time with local book sellers. My life was forever changed after taking a creative writing class in Woodstock, GA at the wonderfully cozy FoxTale Book Shoppe; that one class led me down the path to finally completing my first novel The Unexpected Daughter. There are a plethora of reasons why independent book stores are important for communities across the country. In-store readings, writing workshops, book clubs, and other offerings help bring like-minded readers together. Today on Southern Life, Indian Wife I'm joined by FoxTale owner Karen Schwettman.  Karen tells me how books have always been her lifeline (2:19), the incredible origin story of FoxTale Book Shoppe (3:31), how the store has become a stimulating environment for would-be writers (8:22), how she has enjoyed connecting with me early on in my writing journey (10:51), she discusses her incredible and sometimes difficult experience being an independent bookseller (12:11), how their incredible customers got FoxTale through the economic downturn (15:13), why it’s so important to buy books from local independent booksellers (22:51), how Amazon is creating an uneven playing field (27:54), how she’s working to build a community of readers at FoxTale (31:37), and how you can find an amazing local independent bookstore in your area (34:05). If you’re ever in Woodstock, GA don’t forget to check out FoxTale Book Shoppe and to find out more about their upcoming book club events, make sure to connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts  and TuneIn. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagramand Twitter! And…email me at sherylparbhoo@gmail.com to order a signed copy of my book The Unexpected Daughter. Support the show.

Today I'm joined by "momedian" Heather Tolley-Bauer. She's a drop-dead funny, stay-at-home mom, colon cancer survivor, stand-up comedian. Her comedy is for moms, women, and couples and covers everything from parenting to Pintrest, the PTA, and really anything else that keeps us awake at night. She's also the producer and host of the wildly popular, sold out show called 'Laugh Lines and Stretch Marks' and she's even appeared on season four of the Weather Channel's top-rated original program called 'Weather Gone Viral'. Heather walks us through her "day job" (4:03), details how having a comedic outlook has helped her deal with the "tough stuff" (7:19), she talks about moving to the south as a "hot mess" (12:08), why she enjoys bringing a much needed laugh break to her audience (15:25), how she seeks to find a version of truth in her comedy (17:21), brags about the handsome doctor who convinced her to get the colonoscopy that saved her life (19:43), describes her amazing relationship with her son and why it's important for him to see that "mommy's have bad days" (31:22), how her family handles most things in their house with laughter (34:47), and how she hopes they're teaching their son the right things (38:51). Check out some of Heather’s hilarious stand-up on her YouTube channel and don't forget to connect with her on Facebook and Instagram! Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts  and TuneIn. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagramand Twitter! And…email me at sherylparbhoo@gmail.com to order a signed copy of my book The Unexpected Daughter. Support the show.

Fellow Atlanta-area author Beth Hermes joins the podcast this week. Beth has been a professional writer for over 30 years, she teaches creative and business writing workshops to children and adults, and is the author behind the spiritual/fantasy fiction series The Lightbearers. I wanted to speak with Beth about what it’s like being a writer, teaching writing, and learning about writing as an adult. We discuss Beth's early career as an author and how she got her start as a shadow artist (2:01), how being an outsider seems to be a requirement for being a writer (8:51), why she believes it's important to keep her writing life separate from her regular life (10:25), what techniques she uses to draw stories out of some of the non-authors she works with in writing workshops (15:42), why she advises new authors to read as much as possible (21:51), what it's like teaching this new generation of kids to read and write (25:13), her advice for aspiring authors (28:15), how writing about dragons has taught her that we're not so different from one-another after all (36:22), and how losing her beloved horse taught her so much about life (38:16). Learn more about Beth on her website and don't forget to connect with her on Facebook and Instagram! Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts  and TuneIn. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagramand Twitter! And…email me at sherylparbhoo@gmail.com to order a signed copy of my book The Unexpected Daughter. Support the show.

Deborah Mantella is a Yankee-Italian transplant to the South and she is the author of a very Southern novel called My Sweet Vidalia. It's full of very Southern characters. Critics have compared it to books like The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Deborah has said before that writing fiction gives her a place where she can work out her own personal questions about things in life and the personal song and dance that lives inside her. So how--as a Northern born author--did she discover her Southern voice? What is the author's voice? How do you find the author's tone? I wanted to find out the answers to those questions and more about Deborah's process, so we sat down to discuss how her traits--Northerner, Southerner, writer, and mom--combine to make her a unique individual. She told me about the importance of bringing her personal experiences to storytelling, how she finds a way to live in her character's skin for awhile before relinquishing control and seeing where the story takes you, and we discussed a few tricks we use to get folks to open up at book events. Don't forget to connect with Deborah on Facebook and Instagram! Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts  and TuneIn. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagramand Twitter! And…email me at sherylparbhoo@gmail.com to order a signed copy of my book The Unexpected Daughter. Support the show.

I’m kind of obsessed with the concept of arranged marriage in Indian culture. Are arranged marriages better? And within Indian culture, are couples expected to find romantic love through arranged marriage? It’s a total enigma to me – my husband might have had one if I hadn’t bewitched him away when we met (that's what he says anyway). Today I'm chatting with my old friend Salil Maniktahla about Indian marriage culture, how his first marriage fell apart despite after being arranged by his parents, scoring the true love of his life following his divorce, and becoming the father he is now. Salil and I go way back. All the way back to high school in Memphis, Tennessee. He’s an Indian American from Delhi and married dad of twins who lives in the Washington, D.C. area. He’s not like any Indian guy – really like any guy– I’ve ever met. He’s super intelligent – intimidatingly so, I have to admit, insightful, and totally honest.  If the “F” word bothers you, you’ll have to plug your ears a few times. But you need to hear him. Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts  and TuneIn. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagramand Twitter! And…email me at sherylparbhoo@gmail.com to order a signed copy of my book The Unexpected Daughter. Support the show.

Bren McClain is the author of the award-winning novel One Good Mama Bone.    She and I met in 2018 in a project featuring our novels in a line-up of Southern fiction titles around the Southeastern United States. I hadn’t even read her book when we met, and I suspected she was someone special.   Then I read her book.   And her writing confirmed my suspicions.   Bren’s writing talent is a force.   She lives outside of Nashville, TN on a hundred-acre wood she calls “Peace of Soul Acres” and is currently working on her next novel Took.    We talk about growing up in and leaving Anderson, S.C., her writing journey, and how her spirituality flows into her writing. She is a kind soul. A supportive soul. Hear what she has to say about One Good Mama Bone and her work in progress. I guarantee you’re going to end this episode needing to read her work.       Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and TuneIn. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagram and Twitter! And…email me at sherylparbhoo@gmail.com to order a signed copy of my book The Unexpected Daughter.    To learn more about Bren McClain and her award-winning novel One Good Mama Bone, find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and at her website.    Support the show.

Summer is almost over, but there’s still time left to squeeze in a really good book on the beach. This week’s guest, best-selling author Amulya Malladi’s new novel The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You just may be the one. And it’s just been released on audiobook, too. Amulya Malladi is a prolific author. She’s the best-selling author of eight novels, including The Copenhagen Affair and A House for Happy Mothers. Add the fact that she is a corporate executive for a large global company who travels the world, and has lived in India, Europe, and the United States, well, I think I want to be her in my next life.  Amulya is as much entertaining to talk with as she is talented. She’s has a firecracker personality, and we chat about her need to write, our mutual experiences mixing up Indian and Western cultures in our lives, her outspoken, rebellious nature, and about one of her burning goals to accomplish when she moved from India to Memphis, TN, that had nothing to do with her studies. (Think Carrie Bradshaw goes to college). Amulya spins the narrative of her connections with cultures, women’s issues, and how they all manifest in her books.  Stay tuned until the end of this riveting conversation to listen to an audiobook sample of The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You. It’s good. Really good.  Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher andTuneIn. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagram, and Twitter! And…email me at sherylparbhoo@gmail.com to order a signed copy of my book The Unexpected Daughter.  To learn more about Amulya Malladi and The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You, find her on Facebook, Instagram, and at amulyamalladi.com. To purchase the audiobook, hop over to Audible. Enjoy! Support the show.

The amazing Sophia Watson joins me on Southern Life Indian Wife this week. Sophia is an actress, model, writer, and film producer from the Atlanta area.  I’ve known Sophia since she was five years old and have had the privilege of watching her accomplish so much. She has appeared in 10 films, including 2008’s Living Proof alongside Harry Connick Jr., and 2016’s Elbow Grease with starring Burt Reynolds, and so much more.  Her latest accomplishment is the short film #SLUT, which she wrote, starred in, and produced during her senior year in high school. This multifaceted star talent is only 19-years-old! I so love chatting with her on the podcast. She’s such a dynamic professional. We delve into her grounded childhood acting experience and her personal reasons for making the film #SLUT. This actress has a bright future ahead and you’re going to love getting to know her. You’re definitely going to see much more of her soon. Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts  and TuneIn. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagram and Twitter! And…email me at sherylparbhoo@gmail.com to order a signed copy of my book The Unexpected Daughter.  Watch the trailer for #SLUT and root for her at the Cobb International Film Festival August 1. She loves chatting it up with followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and you can find out more about her at IMDb. Support the show.

How did you meet your spouse?  I met my husband on a starry summer night when I was sixteen. It was love at first sight.  We dated for three years, he proposed on one knee, we had a huge wedding. My husband is Indian and bucked the Indian arranged marriage system. He says he got away with it because he is a man. Me on the other hand, I grew up in the US with Gloria Steinem in the news, right after the sexual revolution, and with parents who raised me to be independent.  I’d be damned if anyone was going to tell me what to do.  My guest this week is Ushma Dahya’s experience was vastly different from mine or my husband’s. Ushma is an accomplished pharmacist, mother of 2, wife for twenty years, and a recent immigrant to the U.S from an Indian community outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. And a cancer survivor.  In this episode, she tells the story of her arranged marriage, living in a household in which her husband’s parents dictated every detail of her life, and how her husband stood by her during her cancer fight. Her story may surprise western listeners, and I hope, bring to light the harmful circumstances many women endure because of their culture’s gender roles - and that there is hope. Support the show.

Do you believe in ghosts?  Heather Dobson does. She is an Atlanta-area stay-at-home mom by day and seasoned paranormal investigator by night. She travels the country looking with Paranormal Georgia Investigators for evidence of the afterlife and is now the author of her first book, Memoirs of a Future Ghost, scheduled for release August third this year.  Heather joins me on Southern Life Indian Wife to discuss mom stuff, how people here in the Bible Belt offer to pray for her, and what exactly goes through her mind when she hears a ghostly voice on a recording tell her to get out of a house.  If you get goosebumps during the episode as I did during our conversation, I want to hear about it. And I implore you to pre-order her book for even more tales of her experiences with the paranormal. Subscribe to Southern Life Indian Wife where you listen to podcasts, including Apple  Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Tunein. Keep up to date with the podcast and my upcoming book news by following me on Facebook,  Instagram and Twitter! To learn all about Heather Dobson and pre-order “Memoirs of a Future Ghost,” find her here: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and her website and PGI’s website. Support the show.

Anyone who knows me or reads my social media posts regularly knows that cooking is not my forte. That’s one reason why sitting down with celebrity Chef Elliott Farmer on episode three of the "Southern Life Indian Wife" podcast brought me so much joy.  Chef Elliott Farmer is an Atlanta native who has more accomplishments on his resume than I could ever dream of for myself. He is a cookbook author who inspired me to publish my own book years ago. He has appeared on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” for two seasons, his catering company provided meals for SuperBowl VII in Atlanta, filmed a pilot for Food Network’s “Atlanta Chefs,” and has made TV and film appearances, including “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” To top that off the man has a doctoral degree in Psychology! I met Chef Elliott through my husband on the set filming his “Atlanta Chefs” pilot, and instantly fell in friendship love. In the podcast, he opens up about how his work ethic took him on a long journey from a poor childhood in Atlanta to celebrity chef and Doctor of Psychology. He talks about making love to your food, and his new catering venture associated with Jay-Z and Usher. His talk of food will make you hungry.  His charm and infectious optimism will knock your socks off and keep you wanting more. Subscribe to "Southern Life Indian Wife"where you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook! To learn more about Chef Elliott Farmer, find him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and at his website. Support the show.

How do you protect your children from the dangers of being online? This week I talk mom-to-mom with Gina-Ann Riggs on her experience navigating social media and the inherent risks with her son, Chandler Riggs. While you might know Chandler from playing Carl on 'The Walking Dead', you might not know that he and his family were targeted by an online predator. Listen for tips on how you can keep your family safe on this week’s episode of Southern Life Indian Wife. Support the show.

Good books, good wine, good people, and good stories. They can change the world. After connecting deeply with readers about my novel The Unexpected Daughter, I realized our conversations needed to continue past emails and book signing events. I wanted a long sit down with people to talk. Truths. Grit. And a tiny bit of smack. Today, I’m proud, and terribly nervous, to announce the launch of my new podcast Southern Life Indian Wife with best-selling author Emily Carpenter as my very first guest. Emily and I sat down together to discuss her newest book release, Until The Day I Die, plus a whole lot more. Our conversation digs into who she is as an author as well as all-around strong woman. She’s a bit of an over-achiever and still humble as all get-out. I loved getting to look her in the eyes while she told her story, about her writing and about her. Good people sharing stories leaves us all a little better than when we began. I’m better after our conversation. After you listen to this episode, I know you’ll take some goodness with you too. Support the show.