We chat with Annika Sharma about Sugar, Spice, and Can’t Play Nice, which is a charming New York City romance featuring multicultural connections, strong friends, bucket list adventures, the city that never sleeps, and a “will they/won’t they story” with powerful stakes.
Hi, Annika! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hellooo, readers! I’m Annika and I’m a little all over the place. I have over a decade of experience in a mix of early education, healthcare, and communications, and I’m also an author of romcooms featuring South Asians and a founder and host of a podcast called That Desi Spark. My newest release, out May 2, is called Sugar, Spice, and Can’t Play Nice and it’s the second book in the Chai Masala Club series, which follows 4 Indian-American friends in New York and their love stories.
I was raised in PA (a Penn State girl to the bone) but currently live in New York City with my husband and my 8-week old daughter. I’m a lover of long conversations, twinkly lights, superhero movies, history, traveling, and pizza!
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I distinctly remember Young Author’s Day in 2nd grade where my parents took me to the mall so we could flip through an old file box with my class’ handwritten stores in it – my epic tale about two princes raised apart and a quest involving a serpent was the first time I wanted to do this as a job. Then again, I also wanted to be an astronaut.
I’ve always loved reading and my angsty journals in high school came in handy for practicing descriptive writing! But it took a breakup at 25 for me to pen my first novel and channel what I was going through into a fictional story and it was like discovering my calling. I’ve never felt such a sense of purpose.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
The first book I read on my own was an Amar Chitra Katha comic – comics from India that told stories from Hindu mythology. The ones that made me want to become an author was the Babysitter’s Club series, which I devoured in my pre-pubescent years. The one I can’t stop thinking about, that literally shaped my life, is Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier.
Your latest novel, Sugar, Spice, and Can’t Play Nice, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
One night stand goes permanent.
What can readers expect?
Ayaan, a screwup in his family’s eyes though he’s a marketing whiz, and Payal, a fashion designer who relies on her family’s money to build her empire, find their futures wrapped up in the merger their respective family businesses are undertaking. Just one problem: they had a one night stand last week and hate each other…but Ayaan wants CMO and Payal needs funding, so what’s the harm in going along with an engagement until they get what they want? Add in a meddling grandmother, family drama, two sets of best friends, and a couple of road bumps, and readers can expect a summer read with angst, laughs, and a South Asian flair.
Where did the inspiration for Sugar, Spice, and Can’t Play Nice come from?
Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words, the first in the Chai Masala Club series, had a more traditional, conservative Indian love story. I knew going into Payal’s story that her tale would be modern but unexpected – after all, she’s a sex positive, independent woman who doesn’t need a relationship, so her escapades with love needed to be somewhat unique. Readers meet Ayaan in a fleeting scene in Love, Chai, and I thought “She hates this guy from London already…they should end up together.” I also wanted to write a family story where the climax is a total mess full of lies…and the rest is history.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I LOVED writing the climax of the story. It flowed out so fast and I could see iit playing out ni front of my eyes. I also love any scene that involves the CMC – the four characters are the pillars upon which this series rests and each have their own personality. Writing them is a loud, funny experience because I can hear them in my head, each with their own distinct voice.
This is your second book! Were there any key lessons learned between writing the two?
It IS my second book! How amazing! Outside of craft-related lessons, it was to go with my gut and bring my lived experience as an Indian-American and the experiences of my friends to the page, rather than utilizing conservative tropes. The South Asians I know are modern, funny, silly, messy, thoughtful, loving, and loyal. We’ve grown up as Americans and also bring our cultures to every day life because they’re a part of us – we don’t wake up and think, “Let me put my Indian on today.” We just are. And that’s how I wanted to write these characters and this book. A story where the South Asianness flows gently through it rather than banging people over the head with it.
What’s next for you?
I’m wrapping up on the third book in the series, and working on two more projects – one about a sex therapist, and the other is a commercial fiction family story!
Lastly, are there any 2023 releases our readers should look out for?
I am a huge fan of Kirthana Ramisetty as a writer and as a person, and her most recent, Advika and the Hollywood Wives, came out last month! It’s a must-read…like diving into an entertainment expose. I’m also looking forward to Nisha Sharma’s Taste like Shakkar!
Sugar, Spice, and Can’t Play Nice is available from Amazon, B&N, Bookshop, Books-a-Million, and Books2Read.
