Interview With Author Ramya Kapadia
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a multi-disciplinary artist from Knoxville, TN. I teach and perform Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music (dance and music forms of South India), paint in the Warli style of art (Tribal art form from Western India) and most recently, write children’s fiction! I am also a Biomedical Engineering and have Master’s degrees in Medical Physics and Neuroscience, and so now, besides choreographing and performing my own works, or writing, I am actively pursuing research on how music and dance, specifically the forms that I practice, affect cognition and emotion. So far, I’ve written two musicals and two children’s plays and one novella.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is the first book of a series called “Taikamaa & The Twin Stars”. I wrote the book as a gift to my daughter for her tenth birthday. She too is an avid readier like me and loves books by Enid Blyton – she is reading the same books that I read as a child and so I wanted to give her something special. Writing the Taikamaa series took me back to my childhood, where the books I read would magical transport me into completely different worlds.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
don’t really know! Mostly, I let my imagination run wild and let the words flow out. Once that has happened, I put my editing hat on (I draw upon my academic training in the sciences for this) and make sense of everything that’s on paper.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Definitely all the books by Enid Blyton, a prolific British author of children’s fiction. The sheer variety of characters and situations that she created taught me that one could find a creative spark in the most simple or mundane of things. Close upon the heels of Enid Blyton are Agatha Christie, Jeffery Archer, Sidney Sheldon and Robin Cook. I’ve also grown quite fond of Devdutt Patnaik, an Indian author, who has a very interesting perspective on Hindu Mythology, which I’ve found useful for my dance works.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on Part 2 of the Taikamaa series and another illustrated children’s book for very young readers, along with a couple of dance projects that are very close to my heart.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be honest, I’m very new to book promotion. I’ve mainly used social media (Facebook and Instagram) and currently, all promotion for my book and other projects are being handled by Tracy Lamourie of Lamourie Media. Book Baby, my publisher, has put the book out on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, etc, which has made it easier for readers to find the book.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Go ahead and just do it! Put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and start writing. Once you are done writing, don’t be afraid to put your work out there or ask for help in the process and always be receptive to constructive criticism.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just keep going, especially when it gets hard.
What are you reading now?
On a Pale Horse, a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony,
Cutting the Ties that Bind, by Phyllis Krystal
Natyashastra and its various Commentaries.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Part 2 of the Taikamaa series
Illustrated board book for very young readers
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That is a tough one. May I sneak in my kindle so I can have ALL my books?
Author Websites and Profiles
Ramya Kapadia’s Social Media Links