Say Hello To Summer Book Releases: Q&A and Giveaway for Mirror in the Sky by Adihti Khorana

Before we begin, I just want to congratulate our eight author, Aditi Khorana because today her debut, Mirror in The Sky is hitting the shelves!!!!! Because of this, we decided to have her SHTSBR post go live today. I’m so excited for you all to get to know more about her and her newest release! But, before we begin, I’m going to share some information about the book.

P.S. To learn more about Say Hello To Summer Book Releases click here!

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Mirror in the Sky by Aditi Khorana

Genre: YA Sci-Fi, Contemporary 
Page Length: 352 Pages
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: June 21, 2016

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Summary:

For Tara Krishnan, navigating Brierly, the academically rigorous prep school she attends on scholarship, feels overwhelming and impossible. Her junior year begins in the wake of a startling discovery: A message from an alternate Earth, light years away, is intercepted by NASA. This means that on another planet, there is another version of Tara, a Tara who could be living better, burning brighter, because of tiny differences in her choices.

As the world lights up with the knowledge of Terra Nova, the mirror planet, Tara’s life on Earth begins to change. At first, small shifts happen, like attention from Nick Osterman, the most popular guy at Brierly, and her mother playing hooky from work to watch the news all day. But eventually those small shifts swell, the discovery of Terra Nova like a black hole, bending all the light around it.

As a new era of scientific history dawns and Tara’s life at Brierly continues its orbit, only one thing is clear: Nothing on Earth–and for Tara–will ever be the same again.

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Q.If you could do one thing to make this world a better place, what would you do?

A. I would make sure that everyone has the opportunity to create something every day. I think if everyone was engaged in actually making something, the world would be a better place.

Q.I remember seeing you comment on the hashtag #WhiteWashOUT of the difficulty that you had getting Mirror in the Sky published because of Tara, your half Indian main character. Can you tell us a bit more about your journey getting published?

A.The novel that I was referring to actually wasn’t Mirror in the Sky, but another project that’s adult lit. I think the YA world is actually very open to seeing culturally and racially diverse characters. Mirror in the Sky was the second novel I completed and queried. While the first project I finished never got representation, Mirror in the Sky actually had quite a bit of interest. I had several offers of representation, and then the book went into auction once it went out to publishing houses. But I was writing fiction for a couple of years before I was able to get a book deal.

Q.When you write a book with a culturally diverse main character do you ever worry about whether or not you are appropriately representing them?

A. I’m a strong proponent of the #ownvoices movement, so I feel like when I write Indian characters, I’m delving deeply into my own personal experiences. Still, I tend to do a sensitivity read after I revise my manuscripts.

Q. Are you currently working on any other projects right now?

A. Yes! I just finished revising a feminist fantasy set in ancient India that will be published in 2017. I’m also working on a novel that’s set in LA in the 80s.

Q.What do you hope that readers of Mirror in the Sky will take away from this story?

A.That everyone has vulnerabilities and frailties that are difficult to reveal. Also, that everyone has moments where they question the choices they’ve made, whether large or small. I think we all do that thing where we’re like “what would have happened if I had gone to a different college/dated or married someone else/attempted a different profession?” This book is really about these questions and how we choose to address them or grapple with them.

Q. How do you come up with story ideas?

A. I tend to start researching my next project while I’m writing my current one. So it’s often a topic that’s touched upon in the current project but there isn’t necessarily room to thoroughly explore it. Once the seed has been planted, I research obsessively. Right now, I’m working on a novel set in LA in the 80s and I’ve been interviewing people who lived on the eastside of LA during that time, listening to 80s music, reading books about the 80s. When I was writing Mirror in the Sky, I was watching Cosmos, and reading a lot of Carl Sagan, Michio Kaku, Brian Greene, etc.

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About the Author:

 

Aditi Khorana spent part of her childhood in India, Denmark, and New England. She has a BA in international relations from Brown University and an MA in global media and communications from the Annenberg School for Communication. She has worked as a journalist at ABC News, CNN, and PBS, and most recently as a marketing executive consulting for various Hollywood studios including Fox, Paramount, and Sony.Mirror in the Sky is her first novel. She lives in Los Angeles and spends her free time reading, hiking, and exploring LA’s eclectic and wonderful architecture. For more information, visit aditikhorana.com. 

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Thank you so much Ms. Khorana for answering my questions! Make sure to pick up a copy of Mirror in the Sky at your local library and/ or bookstore and share with the hashtag #SHTSBR!

Win an ARC of Mirror in the Sky + Tattoos as shown in the picture! Giveaway open to residents of US/CAN only. 

Prizes are sponsored by the author

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