Today we’d like to introduce you to Amita Trasi.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Amita. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in Mumbai, India and moved to the U.S. in 2007. While in India, I completed my MBA and worked in the Human Resources field for a few years. When I moved to The Woodlands, I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue working in Human Resources. Back then, I traveled quite a bit and decided to start writing a novel after spending time at a writer’s retreat in Scotland. I was inspired to include child trafficking as the centerpiece of my novel, the story being about a friendship between two girls who are childhood friends in Mumbai–one is trying to escape the human slave trade and the other is on a mission to save her. I named this novel: THE COLOR OF OUR SKY.
The inspiration for this novel has been drawn from my experiences in Mumbai. It’s a city that has so many slum areas and homeless people living on the streets, I have often come across street children as young as eight who are looking after their families by working in factories, restaurants, slaughterhouses, apartments etc. Many have run away from home, trying to escape abuse, and with no one to look out for them, they disappear from street corners quite quickly.I wanted to write the story of one such child who disappears and finds herself embroiled in the human trafficking trade. A part of the story is also inspired by the daughter of a maidservant and my interactions with her when I was a child.
Writing has always been a great creative outlet for me. It’s very compelling to see a character being born in a novel and as the story proceeds, to see the character in its full light with all its flaws and strengths. A story has a mysterious unfolding of its own and it’s wonderful to see it lays itself bare to the writer. Walking in the shoes of a character and living their experiences, feeling their pain and happiness along the way continues to be an interesting journey.
Has it been a smooth road?
Writing is always a lot of re-writing. I had arrived at a final draft of my novel after four years of a lot of drafts! After I started submitting it to agents, a couple of them responded with feedback and encouraged me to keep going. One suggested that I show the book to an editor, which would help the manuscript get better attention from literary agents. So I approached many freelance editors within the publishing industry and eventually found one that took interest in my book. After two years of trying hard to land a literary agent, I eventually ended up self-publishing it in 2015.
It got a great response from book bloggers, and ended up becoming an Amazon bestseller and one of the Kirkus Indie Best Books of 2015. I met my agent in 2015 and she suggested selling the book to one of the Big Five Publishers. HarperCollins picked it and it was republished in 2017. I was happy to see the book make its way to the Globe And Mail and Toronto Star Bestseller list this year. It has been an exciting journey so far, watching the book go out into the world, getting translated into so many languages and most of all, to hear from my readers. I’ve come to realize that publishing is synonymous with perseverance and that all the struggles eventually just make one better at creating art.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Author – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Amita Trasi is the bestselling author of the novel The Color Of Our Sky, a Kirkus Indie Best Book 2015 and an Amazon bestseller. Published by William Morrow—an imprint of HarperCollins in April 2017. It’s a Globe and Mail and Toronto Star bestseller in Canada.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I’ve met some really wonderful and warm people here, some of whom have turned out to be great friends. I’m also part of a lovely neighborhood. In addition, who doesn’t want to live in a city with some great restaurants downtown. Also, I quite like the fact that I live in a city which is home to NASA and is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the US.
The thing that surprises me most about this city is how hot it can get during the summer. Yes, even after ten years of living here, the summer is the least I like about this city! 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: amitatrasi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amitatrasiauthor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amitatrasiauthor/
- Twitter: @AmitaTrasi
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/amitatrasi/
Image Credit:
Sameer Rao
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
