In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun this year as well! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2020 debuts and chat with them. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats and more!
At the end of 2019, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Shveta Thakrar and her novel STAR DAUGHTER, and we have been interested in it ever since. We are so excited to have Shveta on the blog today to answer some of our questions!
Shveta Thakrar is a writer of South Asian–flavored fantasy, part-time nagini, and full-time believer in magic. Her debut novel Star Daughter is coming 11 August 2020 from HarperTeen, and her short fiction and poetry have appeared in a variety of magazines and anthologies. When not spinning stories about spider silk and shadows, magic and marauders, and courageous girls illuminated by dancing rainbow flames, Shveta crafts, devours books, daydreams, travels, bakes, and occasionally even plays her harp.
Shveta: Thank you! I guess it depends on what you mean by “debut”; I’ve been selling short stories, poems, and essays for a decade now. But if you mean “debut novelist,” it feels amazing. I’ve dreamed of this since I started writing seriously in 2006, and every time I see Star Daughter’s gorgeous cover (illustrated by Charlie Bowater and designed by Corina Lupp) or hear from someone who’s excited to read or who did finish reading an advance copy, my heart glows as brightly as my protagonist Sheetal’s starlight hair.The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?
Shveta: The best part? The fact that the worlds and characters in my imagination are going out into our world for strangers to enjoy. And though I may never know that they picked up my book, hopefully it will bring some magic to their day. It’s like scattering seeds for wildflower gardens to grow, and how cool is that? The hardest? Publishing is a business that comes with deadlines and other responsibilities, and there are only twenty-four hours in a day to deal with them all. I’m know I’m not alone when I say that finding balance as a professional author is definitely a challenge!
The Book Bratz: Where did you get the inspiration for Star Daughter?
Shveta: I adore Neil Gaiman’s and Charles Vess’s illustrated novel Stardust, and after rereading it for the umpteenth time, I decided I would write a short story about a girl whose mother was from a Hindu constellation. But it didn’t take me long to realize the narrative would involve a quest, which meant it would have to expand to be a novel. From there, as I wove in Hindu mythology and drew on some of my own experiences as a teen, Sheetal and her journey came to life.The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the hardest?
Shveta: I obviously adore Sheetal, or she wouldn’t be the main character, but her best friend Minal was a lot of fun to write, too, and I also really enjoyed Sheetal’s mom Charumati and another star named Rati. The hardest? Jeet. I won’t say who he is, but I had to really rethink his role and how I portrayed him.
The Book Bratz: The idea of a girl being the daughter of a star and a mortal is such a fascinating concept—where did you find that inspiration and how did you go about planning/outlining such a complex story?
Shveta: OWell, I already talked about the original inspiration, but I’ll say I didn’t outline or plan Star Daughter at all. I didn’t know what I wanted to happen when I started—so much of this final draft is different from the first one—which meant a lot of revising and reworking through multiple drafts. That painful process made me determined to try to outline or at least plan as much as I can for future books.
The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from Star Daughter?
Shveta: That there is a place for you, no matter who you are, and that you don’t—and honestly can’t—get through life alone. We all need community, and we all need to care about one another and show compassion and empathy.
The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of Star Daughter in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?
Shveta: Star Daughter is definitely a standalone, but I love the idea of creating what my friend called a Shvetaverse, meaning that elements of one book would show up again in another. *wink* And if you want more of Sheetal’s world, I wrote about the night her starry mother and human father met for Enchanted Living magazine. I’m actually working on the second young adult novel my publisher bought from me, but unfortunately since it hasn’t been announced yet, I can’t share specifics. I do promise it will involve more Hindu mythology and have lots of rich description and settings like Star Daughter. After all, I’m writing the worlds I wish I could visit!
Title: Star Daughter
Author: Shveta Thakrar
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: August 11th, 2020
Summary: The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping secrets. But when a flare of starfire injures her human father, Sheetal needs a full star's help to heal him. A star like her mother, who returned to the sky long ago. Sheetal's quest will take her to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows, where she must act as her family's champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens—or risk never returning to Earth at all. Neil Gaiman's Stardust meets a rich landscape of Hindu mythology and celestial intrigue in this sparkling YA fantasy debut.
Thank you so much to Shveta for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about STAR DAUGHTER and can't wait for it to be out in the world on August 11th!
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