OF SWOONY MOMENTS AND HAPPILY EVER AFTER 

Name: Nisha Sharma. It’s a super common name, but my father gave it to me, so I like to think it’s special.

Currently: The Letters We Keep, my first adult romance, is being published this month (review in the Bookworm section). It’s about two college students from “opposite sides of the tracks” who stumble on a stack of love letters written by a woman who disappeared over fifty years ago in a fire at the university library. As the couple unravels the truth about what happened, they wrestle with their own obstacles as they fall in love.

My life in 30 words: I am a law school graduate turned workplace DEI advocate, turned PhD student in social justice and English who writes romance novels about messy South Asian women who find love.

The writer in me took flight when: I started reading at a young age. I’d devour children’s and young adult series in my local library. When I stumbled on the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys super-mysteries, I immediately latched onto the romantic tension between Nancy and Frank Hardy. I wanted more of their swoony moments, so I started to write continuations of my favourite stories. The rest is history!

The poet in me wishes: I made better decisions for longevity and not immediacy.

The lawyer in me wants to: Find a way to hold systems of oppression accountable for the limitations they put on BIPOC authors. The heights we could fly without the weight of racism and patriarchy holding us down!

My favourite lines in poetry:

She had blue skin

and so did he.

He kept it hid

and so did she.

They searched for blue

their whole life through.

Then passed right by

and never knew.”

– Shel Silverstein

Favourite colours: I used to be so high strung about my favourite colours when I was a child. Everything had to be a particular shade of blue, pink or purple. But now, I think it’s the red rosy cheeks of my nephew, or the white and brown coats of my dogs. It’s my husband’s white hairs that speckle his beard, and the white tip on my cat’s tail. It’s my mom’s favourite red lipstick, or my dad’s ridiculous mud-colored golf shirt. It’s the aquamarine water I saw on our last vacation, or the vibrant green of the trees in my backyard. My favourite colour depends entirely on context.

Favourite designer: I love Cloth and Paper. They do not design clothes, but planner supplies, and this is the only kind of designer that really matters to me.

Favourite movie: Bollywood favourites include Amar Akbar Anthony and Dil Toh Pagal Hai. Hollywood favourites include Twister, Independence Day, Ten Things I Hate About You and so many more. But again, these are based on memories and context.

Favourite books: A difficult question to ask an author, but Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Love Story by Eric Segal, and Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier. I think my favourite contemporary romance is Mickey Chambers Shakes it Up by Cherise Reid, and my favourite throwback genre romance is Montana Sky by Nora Roberts.

Favourite authors: I have so many! I have read every Jane Austen and Nora Roberts book. Akwaeki Emezi makes me think. Ana Huang, Alisha Rai and Nalini Singh make me swoon. Natalia Cana and Emily Henry make me laugh.

Favourite TV shows: I’m not much for TV shows but I have been known to keep track of all the Hallmark Christmas movies I watch every year! Back in the day, I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer, though.

Favourite ice cream flavour: Moose Tracks or pista kulfi!

Favourite cuisine: Indian all the way. I’m North Indian and my husband is South Indian, so it honestly doesn’t matter what region of Indian food I’m getting, I love all of it and consume it on a regular basis.

Favourite restaurant: Moghul Express in New Jersey!

Favourite activities: Reading and napping in the sun.

I hang out: Rarely. I am usually working.

I’m freaked out by: Snakes and rodents. If it skitters, it’s not for me.

I need: Regular therapy and meditation to juggle all of my school and writing deadlines. They have helped me stay centered for years.

My role models: My parents, but don’t tell them I said that.

Tips to save the planet: You can’t do it all, and you can’t do it on your own, but if you make small changes in your own life, then you’re contributing to a larger narrative of change.

In a perfect world: Money wouldn’t drive progress, but happiness and community does.

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