People who write novels

I am privileged to know many people with strong storytelling skills. Some of these writers I call friends, or at the very least friends of friends. I have also thrown in a couple of teachers. We are all connected in some way or another. This post's express purpose is to plug their books and pry pennies from your pockets.

Buy these books. Support new writers. Support good writing.

Shiromi Pinto: friend and fellow writer from London, recently published Trussed.

Mizanur Rahman: award-winning journalist, poet, friend, and author of Exposé.

Christina Brown: former colleague, friend, and yoga queen who wrote the Yoga Bible (and other books).

Meera Nair: falls into the friend of a friend category, actually she's my friend's wife and the author of Video.

Ruth Keyso-Vail: friend and former classmate who had a book deal before attending journalism school.

Jack Doppelt: lawyer-turned-journalist prof who wrote about America's non-voters.

Abe Peck: another prof, friend and magazine industry legend who wrote Uncovering the Sixties.

Suzanne Male: former colleague, gal pal, writer and entrepreneur with websites for her children's books, and new authors.

Some families, like the Seths, are full of creatives. My former boss, a peace activist, Shantum Seth is son of Leila Seth (On Balance) and brother of one of my literary heroes, Vikram Seth.

Other writers to watch for:

Natascha Chadha - Look for her book's intimate look at the corporate history of the family business.

Michelle Persaud - Last time I spoke to her she was revising her novel and had an agent.

Alex Shand - This award-winning physician has said his column for The Telegraph is being turned into a book - a gay E.R.

If I have overlooked anyone, and you want in on this list. Just email me. I also hope to finish my novel and add myself to the above list someday soon.