Today it is my turn on the 'The Love Lottery' Blog Tour. I am very happy to be able to share an extract from the book with you all and hopefully you will love the sound of it and read the full book!
Publication date 20th February 2018
About the book
The Love Lottery: a comic tale of lessons in life, love, dating and the odd samosa party
In our fast-paced digital age, never has finding the one felt more like playing the lottery. If anyone knows about the cruelty and chaos of dating in the 21st century it’s Raj Dhaliwal; accountant by day, hopeless romantic by night. By his own admission, Raj is a tax wizard but a clumsy disaster area when it comes to matters of the heart. This book charts his misadventures in the art of looking for love in an age when a man’s best intentions can be coldly dismissed by a swipe to the left. The Love Lottery: a comic tale of lessons in life, love, dating and the odd samosa party explores the emotional rollercoaster of dating, charting the epic excitement and anticipation, highs, lows and disappointments of our ever optimistic search for romance. As a British-born Indian gent, Raj compares and contrasts the social and cultural distinctions between his family, his friends and the women he meets on the dating scene; a route to romance that’s littered with speed dating, online dating and feverish matchmaking, in this funny and heart-warming book. As self-appointed United Nations Love Ambassador, Raj has made it his mission to date the weird and the wonderful in the pursuit of lasting love. Want to play The Love Lottery? Then read on.
About the Author
Living in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire Raj Dhaliwal works as an accountant for the car manufacturing company Land Rover.
Extract from the book
Telephone Interview,
We've all been there, well at least I hope we have. The telephone interview is the step after having sent a few messages here and there post establishing a connection with an online profile match.
We all try to come across in the best light as we can as this is may possibly be the one and only time we can impress and both silently concur the correct decision was made to connect.
A plan may be formulated in our mind in terms of how we shall start the conversation off, should we crack a funny one liner to start off with or be serious and wooden, whether the telephone voice will be used, what we shall say when asked an awkward question etc.
A bit like an interview!
Right, let’s say we are fast approaching agreed time to call o’clock. What do we do? Do we call on the dot and give the possible impression we are desperate or very keen? Or do we call at half past six and then come across as too relaxed or even not bothered about keeping them waiting with our poor timekeeping?
It’s now a quarter past time to call o’clock. Okay, deep breaths! In… and now out… don’t give birth to anything! Okay Ring Ring Ring! Shit not again! It’s gone through to voicemail! Damn it. Shall I leave a voice message? Sod it. Let’s.
If you have a broad accent, be proud of it and don’t put on a telephone voice and risk sounding like a 1950’s BBC broadcaster live from the Alexandra Palace.
You feel like saying:
“Hi… it’s me. You know, the guy whom you asked to call you at six o’clock! You were engaged and now not answering. Buzz me back if you’re serious as I have plenty of other shit to do this evening. Bye!”
But actually, what you end up saying, in a cool and calm manner, would put any diplomat to shame:
“Hi… It’s me! Just calling to see how you’re doing. It looks like I have just missed you. No problemo. I hope all is okay and I shall catch up with you as and when. Take Care. Bye!”
As soon as the phone is hung up, a number of thoughts will enter the mind.
I jokingly refer to the first chat on the phone as a telephone interview. This is probably the first and in some cases the only chance to make a positive impression. It can feel like an interview due to the nerves kicking in. Naturally one wants to come across as the person the other party is looking for, but don’t tailor it to suit them.
