MENTOR:

Annika Sharma

(she/her/hers)

CATEGORY:

 New Adult, Adult

SUB GENRES:

Contemporary Romance, Rom Com, Fiction with strong romantic elements

BIO:

Annika, a multi-hyphenate science nerd and creative, has over a decade of experience in education, healthcare, and communications. She is also a podcaster, an agented and published author, represented by Donaghy Literary Group, and a public speaker. Following the release of her first novel in 2015, she was signed to Sourcebooks for a three-book deal. The first, ""Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words,"" was given two starred reviews from trade publications, and was named an Amazon's Editors' Pick and Library Journal Best Book of 2021. ""Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice,"" released in May 2023. In addition to translating her lived experience as a South Asian into Rom Com novels, she is the founder and host of That Desi Spark podcast, one of the largest independently run South Asian podcasts in the US, focusing on social justice, societal issues, health, and entertainment across the South Asian diaspora, which has led to appearances on the BBC, in Forbes, and on a Spotify billboard campaign. It was recently acquired by Graywall. Annika has been invited to speak at universities, conferences, and companies on brand building, podcasting, South Asian mental health, and artistic careers. She currently lives in the New York City area and is a lover of long conversations, superhero movies, reading, and travel. She can be found @annikasharma on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.


Smoochpit bio add: I'm all about the fall, football, and connecting with people! My favorite genres to read are historical fiction, women's fiction, and romance. I'm a history buff. I collect Starbucks mugs from the "you are here,"collection. I was a professional classical Indian dancer when I was younger. I have a baby girl whose middle name means "born from fire."