WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS, ILLUSTRATORS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS,
AND BOOK LOVERS EVERYWHERE

TODAY’S GUEST

I love how intertwined our kidlit community is – we meet people at conferences, or in classes, or we do critiques with them…and they become our friends. The latter is how I connected with today’s guest – and although the feedback has been sent on her manuscript, I hope to stay in touch with Shachi and will be cheering for every new book!

Shachi Kaushik is a writer and a storyteller. Part of the Children’s Media Industry, she creates content for children that is entertaining, enlightening, and educational. She has worked on the production team for the YouTube Original Animated Series ‘The Guava Show’ and ‘CoComelon.’
Her debut ‘Diwali In My New Home’ has received accolades and praise worldwide. The book has been named a 2022 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Awards finalist in the Picture Books, Early Reader category! and is the Winner of The Book Fest Awards in the Children’s Diversity – Multicultural category.
To connect with Shachi:
Facebook: storiesbyshachi
Twitter: @KaushikShachi
Instagram: storiesbyshachi

ME: Hello Shachi! I’m so excited to welcome you to Picture Books Help Kids Soar…your new book, DIWALI IN MY NEW HOME, illustrated by Aishwarya Tandon, and published by Beaming Books, launched last month. Thank you for stopping by. I know everyone is excited to find out more about you, so let’s get started.
Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child? 

SHACHI: Growing up in India, I loved reading the comic Tinkle. My favorite character was Suppandi, an illustrator by Ram Waeekar.

ME: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started writing? 

SHACHI: One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is to embrace rejection. When I first started writing, rejections felt like personal failures. I now understand that rejection is a natural part of writing. It’s a chance to improve and persist in your craft. Don’t let it discourage you.

ME: Where do you like to write – inside, outside, special room, laptop, pen and paper? 

SHACHI: Due to my frequent travels between Canada and the USA, I’ve learned to adapt to my new writing environment every few months.

I used to write in diaries but switched to the Remarkable tablet, which feels like writing on paper.

ME: When do you write – early morning, late in the day, middle of the night, on schedule, as the muse strikes? 

SHACHI: To keep myself accountable, I’ve joined Co-Writing online sessions. It has helped me structure my writing routine. And, of course, I allow my creativity to flow whenever the muse strikes, which can occur at any hour, day or night. Interestingly, some of my best ideas emerge at midnight. 

ME: Why do you write for children? 

SHACHI: I write to help children connect with their South Asian roots through stories that reflect their cultural experiences and values. Through these stories, I aim to foster a sense of identity, belonging, and pride while promoting cultural understanding and friendships with others from diverse backgrounds.

ME: Also, if you have any thoughts or advice for aspiring writers, please share. As well as anything else you want to talk about that parents, educators, writers, and librarians might want to hear.

SHACHI: Diwali, the festival of lights, is a cherished holiday for my family and me. For me, it’s like having a mix of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and July 4th rolled into one joyous holiday. Like Thanksgiving, it’s a time for families to express gratitude and feast together. Much like Christmas, Diwali dazzles with twinkling lights. And, similar to July 4th, it’s marked by vibrant fireworks, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness.

One of the highlights of every year is the Diwali celebrations at the Round Rock Public Library. What started as a small gathering has grown into a grand celebration over the years. We share the beauty of Diwali with our community, inviting everyone to join us in the festivities.

We offer a glimpse into the traditions of Diwali, and everyone participates in fun activities like making diya lamps, trying rangoli art, and dancing. It’s heartwarming to see people from diverse backgrounds come together to celebrate Diwali. My idea for my book ‘Diwali In My New Home’ originated from this event.

Shachi – this is wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing all of these insights…and for writing such a beautiful book! And also for offering a signed copy of DIWALI IN MY NEW HOME as a prize for one lucky winner.

Friends, if you leave a comment on this blog post, you’ll be entered in the giveaway. And I hope you will do at least one more thing to help this book become successful. You can:
Review the book
Buy the book
Put the book on your Goodreads WANT TO READ shelf
Share on social media
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

And HURRAY!!!! We have a fabulous treat recipe from Shachi!

SHACHI: Here’s a simple recipe to make Chickpea laddu

No holiday is complete without a sweet treat, and for Diwali, it’s laddoo. You can say it La-doos.

My favorites are chickpea (besan) and coconut laddus. They are sweet, filled with the aromatic scent of cardamom and ghee, and to top it off, they are gluten-free.

Ingredients:
2 cups chickpea flour
1 cup clarified butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
A handful of chopped nuts (cashews or almonds)
Raisins for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

• In a non-stick pan on low heat add clarified butter. Make sure the pan isn’t not too hot. The clarified butter should melt slowly.
• Add the chickpea flour to the pan and stir it. Keep stirring it to prevent any burning mishaps. Brace yourself; this stirring will be an arm workout.
• Roast the chickpea flour for about 10-15 minutes until it changes color to a golden-brown color and releases a nutty aroma. The flour will also start to thicken and form a crumbly texture.
• Turn off the heat, and let the mixture cool down for a bit, so it’s not too hot to touch.
• Add the powdered sugar and cardamom powder to the roasted chickpea flour and mix well. (You can adjust the sugar quantity to suit your taste.)
• If you want to add nuts else skip the nuts.
• Let it cool a little more, so you can shape the mixture into round balls.
• Grease your hands with a little clarified butter to prevent sticking, and then shape the mixture into small, round laddoos. You can make them as big or as small as you like.
• You can garnish each laddu with a raisin or a piece of a nut.
• Allow the laddoos to cool completely. They will become firmer as they cool down.

(Note: adjust the sugar and nuts as per your preference)
Enjoy this sweet treat.
Happy Diwali!!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.