We chat with author Maya Prasad about her latest release Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things, which is perfect for fans of Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and celebrates sisterhood, family, and the love all around us.
Hi, Maya! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello and thanks for having me on The Nerd Daily! I’m also a nerd, with a background in computer science. I spent nine years working in big tech in California, but I currently live in the drizzly and dreamy Pacific Northwest. I enjoy hiking, kayaking, and raising my budding bookworm kiddo. My YA debut Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things is a celebration of sisterhood, the PNW, and the Indian American diaspora.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
Well, I first discovered my love of reading. My parents basically thought of the public library as free daycare (poor librarians), but my sisters and I weren’t the type to cause trouble; we’d happily spend hours perusing the shelves and finding new favorites.
In the sixth grade, I had a couple of fun assignments that I spent way too much time on. (Or perhaps the perfect amount of time on?) One was to a write a sequel to a favorite picture book. I chose Where the Wild Things Are and followed it up with Where the Weird Things Are, where Max travels to Mars and meets Martians. I even illustrated it and I remember being really proud of the results. That year, I also wrote a ten page mystery-thriller that was basically an homage to Christopher Pike’s Weekend. I was a huge fan of his brand of spooky teenage fun, and was thrilled with my own very goofy twist ending.
In high school, I joined the “Ready Writing” academic team; we would wake up early and write essays before school and then compete on weekends. (As I mentiined, nerd through and through.) But I didn’t take my writing very seriously until I started to feel the yearning to create the representation of Indian Americans that I wanted to see.
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!
I was obsessed with Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce! I loved this feminist, girl-dressed-as-boy-fighting-with-swords story.
Your debut novel, Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things, is out October 18th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Cozy, foodie, romantic brown girls
What can readers expect?
Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things is story of the four Singh sisters over four seasons as they navigate new passions, breathtaking kisses, and the bustle of their father’s cozy cliffside inn. It takes place on Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest, and is full of seasonal vibes and luscious food descriptions. DDLT also has a unique structure, where each sister’s POV takes place in a different season, but the family’s story as a whole is present throughout. It celebrates the love all around us and has been described as a “warm hug of a book.”
Where did the inspiration for Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things come from?
It was inspired by my own siblings, my current home in the Pacific Northwest, my visits to Orcas Island in the San Juans, and my desire to create a work of joyful representation.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
The biggest challenge—and the greatest joy—of writing this novel was creating four unique sisters with their own dreams, their own flaws, and their own worldviews. As an Indian American, it was a privilege and a pleasure to show that we are not a monolith, and that we each have our own relationships with our identities.
The challenge, of course, was creating their individual voices: practical Nidhi who often thinks in lists, Avani who is both sporty and poetic, shy Sirisha who has trouble articulating herself, and hopeless romantic Rani who gets whisked away into her Bollywood fantasies.
I think what helped me most was having strong vision for each of the sisters from the beginning. I wrote one scene or chapter from each of their POVs (even if it wasn’t chronological to the novel) to help me establish their voices, and went from there.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
My favorite scene to write was Nidhi’s midnight adventure—I loved playing with the language in that chapter to evoke the feeling of escape and beauty in the darkness.
Were there any ‘must-haves’ you wanted to incorporate when it came to writing your novel, such as tropes, topics, characteristics etc?
My main goal was to create a work of joyful representation. I knew I wanted it to feel cozy and sweet, an escape from the world. Emphasizing the seasons was fun because I got to incorporate things like drinking hot cocoa under the stars and the thrill of a random seventy degree day in late October—obviously the perfect time to go wakeboarding!
As for tropes, Publisher’s Weekly said, “Debut author Prasad ambitiously blends myriad romantic tropes throughout this jam-packed rom-com.” It’s true: I did try to pack in as many rom-com tropes as possible, and I had four (actually, five!) romances to fit them into. I especially had fun with the “forced proximity” trope when one of the sisters gets trapped in a barn in a snowstorm with a cute boy she’s been trying her best to avoid.
What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
It’s definitely been a long and winding one! I started writing over a decade ago, and along the way, I landed my first agent, went on submission with a YA sci-fi that never sold, realized that my first agent wasn’t the right fit, received a mentorship through We Need Diverse Books, published some short stories, and signed with my current agent. My YA debut Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things was my fourth completed manuscript.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently wrapping up edits for the sequel to Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things. While the first book takes place over four seasons in the course of a year, the second book is packed into just one wild, windy day. I enjoy experimenting with unique structures, so it was a lot of fun to take on the challenge of fitting big emotions and epiphanies in such a short period.
I also have an upcoming kids’ STEM chapter book series to be published by Simon & Schuster/Aladdin in 2023. The first book is Sejal Sinha Battles Superstorms, where an Indian American girl uses science and her trusty cardboard box to fly into the eye of a hurricane to save her family’s Diwali celebration.
Lastly, what have been some of your favourite 2022 reads? Any 2023 releases our readers should look out for?
I’ve had the pleasure of reading many of my fellow ’22 debuts books this year! There were so many amazing ones but I’ll just shout out a few: Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer, The Witchery by S. Isabelle, and A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy are among my favorites.
In 2023, I’m looking forward to The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim, The Marble Queen by Anna Kopp, and Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng (which I had the pleasure of reading an early draft of.).
For more recommendations, I dabble in bookstagramming on Insta @msmayaprasad.
