Annika Sharma
Author Interview - Annika Sharma
Author of Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words
Kiran's family broke in half when her sister fell in love, and she's determined not to do the same. Nash's family was nonexistent and he's sure abandonment is a certainty. Set against bucket lists and New York City lights, Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words explores the redefinition of family, home, and love...and how it can change if you allow someone in.
Author Interview - Annika Sharma
Author I draw inspiration from: Emily Giffin, Jodi Picoult, Sonali Dev, Josie Silver
(Click here for my list of Best Jodi Picoult Books)
Author Interview - Annika Sharma | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: On my couch with a blanket!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Samir Rathod from A Bollywood Affair...or Vikram Jathar from A Bollywood Bride (both by Sonali Dev) - it was one of the first times I saw South Asian representation in a way that I related to and loved. Sonali is now a friend of mine so maybe I need to thank her for upping my standards!
Author Interview - Annika Sharma | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I was fifteen, angsty, and unsure of my place in the world (like most teenagers!) and I read Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier. I realized writing had been my go-to home for my entire life, and I felt the power of being seen in literature because Born Confused was the first young adult novel in the US with a South Asian protagonist. I wanted to create that home for someone else too.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: My reading habits have TRANSFORMED since buying an e-book reader...I think because my Kindle goes everywhere with me and I don't feel the looming pressure of a packed bookshelf of TBRs (rather, now I can carry them all with me!).
The last book I read: Radha and Jai's Recipe for Romance, a YA novel by Nisha Sharma. It was a beautiful exploration of Indian classical dance, mental health, love, and so much more.
Author Interview - Annika Sharma | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Computer, all the way - my brain goes too fast for me to write by hand anymore!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Bea Schumacher from One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London! She's bold, funny, unapologetically herself, empathetic, and flawed all at once.
Author Interview - Annika Sharma | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: I am sadly not established enough to be a full-time writer so I do have a day job and I think I'd still be doing it if I wasn't writing! I'm a Communications Project Manager in healthcare, mixing my science background with communications/marketing.
Favorite decade in fashion history: Ooo what a great question! I love the roaring twenties - there was glamour and glitz and no corsets.
Place I’d most like to travel: Tanzania! Safaris, beaches, hiking...it's got everything in terms of natural beauty and appreciating cultures different than our day-to-day.
My signature drink: I'm a teetotaler so I'll go with my drink choice worthy of a three year-old: a Shirley Temple!
Favorite artist: Michaelangelo - I studied abroad in Italy and his story is fascinating. He was never meant to paint frescoes because he was a sculptor and then he went and painted the Sistine Chapel...what a way to rise to the occasion.
Number one on my bucket list: Visit every continent!
Anything else you'd like to add: I cannot wait for you to meet Kiran and Nash - thank you for this interview and for reading my book!
Find more from the author:
@annikasharma on Twitter, Instagram
