What genre is your first book?
Honestly, the book cannot be classified into any particular genre. The story is more of a drama with a dose of romance thrown in along with it. So, I can’t really name it as being of any one genre but it is a unique story that adults and teenagers can both enjoy.

Why a book about dance? Are you a dancer?
No, I am not a dancer at all! I have learned Bharatanatyam until about ten years old but never performed seriously at any time. But a story set in the dance world was an idea that I was intrigued by and that is the reason that I felt compelled to create a tale based on that.

How do you describe your first book ‘Blood, sweat and tears?
My book is a story about a young woman with an ambition she is determined to fulfill more than anything else. She wants to make it as a professional dancer, which is a really long and hard journey to undertake. The interesting part is that the girl is of partly Indian and partly Russian descent, so in her story the cultures of both countries will be brought out. The story is not deep and serious but is a light, short read that I hope readers will enjoy.

Have you had any stories or poems published prior to this book?
No, the few short stories I did write earlier were quite terrible in my opinion, so I ended up throwing them away. Some years ago, I tried writing a blog but ended up deleting that as well. Still, getting some writing published eventually was something I was determined to do.

What do think of so many people wanting to write books today?
There does seem to be a new author emerging in India every week now! I look in the paper and see that everyone wants to write a book today- or just has. This makes it the worst time to want to write a novel since it will be just one of so , so many! but it is still nice to see that writing is a growing trend in today’s time when people are reading less and less.

Who are your role models?
Many people across different fields are role models for me for different reasons. Monica Seles the tennis player is someone I really admire for the way she overcame her adversity and returned to life. Audrey Hepburn is another figure I look up to because of the elegance that she always displayed.

Thanks for your time Arya and all the best for your first novel!