Pradeep Anand, an immigrant engineer from India, has now become an author with the release of his debut novel An Indian in Cowboy Country.

Anand, a Sugar Land resident, formally launched the book at the Stafford Civic Center on Dec. 2.

An Indian in Cowboy Country is about an Asian-Indian engineer discovering his personal and professional potential in the heart of Texas and flourishing in the United States.

"The book celebrates two facets. The first is the assimilation experience of a typical educated, professional, middle-class Indian immigrant. The other sources of celebration are ethnic diversity, the city of Houston and the oil-and-gas industry," Anand said.

The protagonist shares the author's ethnic background, and works in the oil-and-gas industry. But the stories, incidents and characters are pure fiction, Anand said. The book connects distinct episodes and yet has a continuous narrative.

"An Indian in Cowboy Country tells a unique immigrant's story that has not been told thus far. It focuses on a somewhat typical Indian immigrant experience that is not often explored in literature," Anand said.

Chitra Divakaruni, an award-winning author and poet and a Sugar Land resident said, "Pradeep Anand has put together a collection of highly enjoyable stories about the many challenges of being a brown-skinned techie in Texas. Immigrants everywhere will relate to this perceptive and relevant book."

Houston City Councilman Michael Berry, a friend of Anand, has endorsed the book with the comments: "Pradeep Anand has given voice, in a very sincere, real way, to the phenomenon of overachieving Indians assimilating into the fabric of American life. A good read, whether you grew up in India, the U.S., or anywhere else."

Anand was born in Bombay and is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay. He lived the first half of his life in Bombay before coming to Houston.

Anand explained the genesis of his novel to a sudden thunderstorm in September 2003 which disrupted traffic, and an errant driver swerved toward him, forcing him to the sidewalk. He escaped a major accident and landed safely but shaken, in the parking lot of a bookstore.

"To calm down for a moment, I went inside. Before long, I came across An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner, and bought it. I read it cover to cover that night. Motivated, the next day I whispered a prayer, and began writing a short story," Anand said.

Anand is president of Seeta Resources (www.seeta.com), a management consulting firm which focuses on turnaround and growth of engineering and technology companies.

An Indian in Cowboy Country, published by iUniverse can be ordered at local Barnes & Noble stores, and online at www.amazon.com and www. iuniverse.com. For information, visit www.pradeepanand.com.

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