iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 10/10/2026

Yes! Look what we got from all humans (artist and cover designers with no LLMs in sight). No LLM could EVER make this.

Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 06/10/2026

Perfect time to preorder my ridiculous vampire novel, FANGS NOT INCLUDED! Then you'll get a lovely surprise when it shows up in May.

The cover of FANGS NOT INCLUDED, with four Indian vampiric girls, one of whom is holding a camera.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 06/10/2026

BRIAN FROUD'S GREEN WOMEN, which I and thirty-six other fabulous authors have pieces in, is out today! Grab your copy if you haven't already; it's gorgeous. www.abramsbooks.com/product/bria...

A graphic of BRIAN FROUD'S GREEN WOMEN on the grass with a gold circle that says, "On sale October 6," and the text, "Words and stories of fantasy and myth from acclamed women writers around the world with provocative portraits from the grandfather of faerie art, Brian Froud."

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 06/10/2026

I will share about my forthcoming ridiculous vampire book, inspired by WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, but with vampires from Hindu and Buddhist folklore. Thank you for asking! www.harpercollins.com/products/fan...

The cover art for FANGS NOT INCLUDED, featuring four Indian vampire girls, one of whom is holding a camera.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 03/10/2026

My first blurb, from the delightful Ciara Smyth (don't miss her hilarious Irish novels!):

A picture of the cover of FANGS NOT INCLUDED, with the words, "So funny and charming--for a book about vampires, this is just brimming with life." --Ciara Smyth, author of NOT MY PROBLEM

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 01/10/2026

As promised, the cover reveal for my ridiculous vampire novel, FANGS NOT INCLUDED, coming 25 May 2027!!! 🧛🏾‍♀️🧛🏾‍♀️🧛🏾‍♀️ (Illustration by Kushiaania; cover design by Julia Tyler and Alison Klapthor.) www.harpercollins.com/products/fan...

A blue background with the text "Fangs Out 05/25/2027" and a cover with four vampiric girls on it. The main one, a rakshasi, is holding a camera and filming. The title says, "Fangs Not Included."

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 14/08/2026

If you could use a treat this afternoon, I just baked some cherry cobbler. 🍒

A rectangular blue glass pan filled with cherry cobbler with drop-biscuit topping.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 24/03/2026

Hi, friends! Just letting you know that Barnes and Noble is currently having a 25-percent-off preorder sale, so if you had your eye on BRIAN FROUD'S GREEN WOMEN, you know what to do. 😁 The discount code is PREORDER25, and the B&N link is below. www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brian-frou...

A finished copy of BRIAN FROUD'S GREEN WOMEN on the ground, with the text, "Words and stories of fantasy and myth from acclaimed women writers around the world. With provocative portraits from the 'grandfather of faerie art,' Brian Froud."

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 23/03/2026

Friends! I have AMAZING news! Guess who's a contributor to Brian and Wendy Froud's newest anthology, BRIAN FROUD'S GREEN WOMEN, edited by the fabulous @terriwindling.bsky.social? Meeeee! 🧚🏼🧚🏼🧚🏼 I wrote three pieces based on his gorgeous paintings. The book will be available for preorder on 6 October!

A finished copy of BRIAN FROUD'S GREEN WOMEN anthology, featuring a green cover and a painting of a laughing Green Woman with leaves in her mouth, on a bed of grass. The text reads, "Words and stories of fantasy and myth from acclaimed women writers around the world. With provocative portraits from the 'grandfather of faerie art,' Brian Froud."

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 13/11/2025

If you're thinking about fiction to nominate from this year's crop, I'd love for you to consider my fairy-tale retelling, "Finer than Silk, Brighter than Snow," published in @uncannymagazine.bsky.social. :)

"Once upon a time, so long ago that streams ran thick with silver, and the sun shone in rays of molten gold, an old woman squatted on the green, flower-choked bank of the Sarasvati River and scrubbed fancy clothes for patrons far more fortunate than she."

Issue 65 of UNCANNY MAGAZINE, illustrated by Nilah Magruder.

http://www.uncannymagazine.com/finer-than-silk-brighter-than-snow/

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 02/11/2025

We desis (as you know) often have nose pins, and when I got mine back in the nineties, my parents thought it looked great. Meanwhile, I got reported by a white customer at the store where I was a cashier for that same nose pin. Imagine finding something like this scandalous.

Indian woman's partial face with a diamond flower nose pin.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 30/10/2025

@jolantru.bsky.social Can I ask you a quick question? It looks like SH is open to nonfiction submissions, so I tried to send one--and received this message. Any thoughts on how I can actually get the e-mail to you?

The "message blocked" message I received in response to my e-mail submission.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 28/10/2025

@strangehorizons.bsky.social Hi! My submission e-mails (and even inquiry messages) keep getting blocked with this message, and I'm not sure what to do. I tried two different e-mail providers, and neither is getting through. Any thoughts?

The blocked message I've received from "sh-articles@googlegroups.com."

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 17/10/2025

Witchy and her broom wish you all a spooky autumn afternoon! 🧙‍♀️🍂💀🎃🧛‍♀️

A soft witch doll named Witchy and her sparkly broom sit on an Indian carved chair with a peacock cushion.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 01/10/2025

Also, if you're in NYC, come listen to @leannareneehieber.bsky.social and me read at the KGB Bar on Wednesday the eighth!

A graphic with the heads of Leanna and Shveta and the text "Fantastic Fiction at KGB Reading Series: Leanna Renee Hieber & Shveta Thakrar, Wednesday, October 8th, 7PM, KGB Bar, 85 E. 4th Street, NYC"

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 25/09/2025

A friend of mine (Tanaz Bhathena) just shared her wonderful adult fantasy debut news. I don't think she's on here, so I'll post it for her. I'm so excited!

Tanaz Bhathena's WITCH DAUGHTER, pitched as a Persian mythology retelling of the story of Tahmineh, wife, mother, and rumored witch who desperately tries to stop a tragic prophecy in which her husband and son kill each other on a battlefield, pitched for fans of CIRCE and A SONG TO DROWN RIVERS, to Kirsiah Depp at Grand Central, in a significant deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2026, by Danielle Burby at Mad Woman Literary Agency (NA).
UK/Translation: Taryn Fagerness

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 12/09/2025

A lovely adult fantasy I blurbed earlier this year and just received a finished copy of, along with said blurb:

The colorful front cover of BEASTS OF CARNAVAL, by Rosália Rodrigo.

My blurb, reading:

Beasts of Carnaval is, quite simply, a marvel. Rodrigo’s skillful storytelling unmasks the rot behind the seductive gilt façade of empire while simultaneously rendering resilient, multifaceted characters with such nuance and compassion that I was left aglow with hope.

—Shveta Thakrar, author of the Andre Norton Nebula Award finalist Star Daughter

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 11/09/2025

Hey, look! I made @pwkidsbookshelf.bsky.social, along with Rory Power and Skyla Arndt! (We had a lovely panel at the @salemlitfest.bsky.social this past weekend.)

House of Haunts

Skyla Arndt made an appearance on multiple panels at the Salem Lit Festival on September 6. The annual festival takes place each fall, bringing together local and regional authors with readers for a week of readings, writing workshops, and panel discussions. Here, (from l.) authors Rory Powers, Shveta Thakrar, and Arndt take part in the “Fantasy with Teeth” panel at San Pedro Episcopal Church in Salem, Mass., where Arndt discussed her new YA novel House of Hearts (Viking). The “horrormance” follows teen Violet’s investigation into her best friend’s murder as she joins the elite boarding school crowd her friend left behind.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 15/08/2025

I saw this comment earlier in the evening and then just read this in Scalzi's WHEN THE MOON HITS YOUR EYE:

A snippet from John Scalzi's novel WHEN THE MOON HITS YOUR eye, in which an audience member does exactly what Lynne was talking about and gets shut down by the speaker.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 01/08/2025

The infamous @scalzi.com promoting my latest book, DIVINING THE LEAVES, over pasta at Gen Con!

John Scalzi holding a postcard of DIVINING THE LEAVES and vamping.

John Scalzi and I posing with a postcard of DIVINING THE LEAVES.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 26/06/2025

I have happy newwwwwssssss! 🎉🎉🎉 My second book, THE DREAM RUNNERS, made the 2026 "Dreams and Nightmares" Trinity Plus shortlist (for Years 9+) for the Trinity Schools Book Award Award in the UK!!! 🥳🎉🥳🎉🥳

"Dreams and Nightmares: Trinity Plus Shortlist 2025 Year 9+" with six book covers, including THE DREAM RUNNERS (by me!).

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 11/06/2025

I'll also be part of an author panel and signing. Come out and see me! :)

A website that reads, "Author & Poet Panel & Book Signing" with author names and details and the Oregon Country Fair seal with a peach.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 11/06/2025

Some joy amid the current ugliness: I will be trying something new to me and acting at this year's Oregon Country Fair in Veneta! I'll be performing as a vendor at my YA novels' magical Night Market, bargaining over the price of enchanted wares with the audience. :D

A website that reads, "Welcome to the Night Market!" It features my author photo, schedule details (Friday, 11 July and Saturday, 12 July), and the Oregon Country Fair seal with a peach.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 25/05/2025

"Extension of my mind." I . . .

Reddit post in the ChatCPT subreddit reading:

The more ChatGPT learns about you, the better it gets.. At this point it’s kind of an extension of my mind that I use to externalize emotions and make processing new thoughts and ideas easier.

I have honestly seen it infer information and events from my life - in a way that is almost scary, explain ideas to me that I hadn’t crystallized into words yet, and spark genuinely meaningful and new ways of seeing things inside of me.

If you feed it genuine intelligence, it will reflect that back to you

If you feed it nonsense and rubbish, well - that’s what you get as well.

Some of us will be a lot better off in an AI world, some much worse off.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 19/05/2025

This picture I took last night after the lovely Gold Coast Book Festival reminds me of @lissasloan.bsky.social and her research into the Cinderella motif around the world. (Check out Lissa's wonderful book, GLASS AND FEATHERS, which continues the Cinderella story.) lissasloan.com/glass-and-fe...

An abandoned black suede high heel below a brick wall with a sign that reads, "Ground Guide Required when Backing. Please ask for Assistance." Beside the wall, there is a Peter Pan bus.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 30/04/2025

I'll be at Little Shop of Stories this weekend with some amazing people having high tea! You should join us if you're in the area! www.eventbrite.com/e/ya-literar...

High Tea graphic with Gayle Forman, Channelle Desamours, Trang Thanh Tran, Julian Winters, MK Lobb, and Shveta Thakrar on Saturday May 3rd at 1pm in the Little Shop of Stories.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 23/04/2025

My friend Kelsey does awesome fairy-tale/fantasy styling! Hit her up at kakleckyillustration.com. (She did my gorgeous Audible novella cover, pictured below.) She could definitely draw you some hot monster men.

The gorgeous cover art for INTO THE MOON GARDEN (by Shveta Thakrar), painted by K. A. K. Lecky. It features an Indian woman with long black hair, jewelry, and a phases-of-the-moon crown holding a lotus.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 22/04/2025

Some natural beauty for you all. #bloomscrolling (So much better for my sensitive heart than doomscrolling!)

A white violet with purple striations out in nature.

A tree covered with tissue paper-like blooms with the sun shining through.

A cluster of mauve lilacs edged in white.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 22/04/2025

Speaking of roots, a dandelion clock for you from a recent walk:

A perfect dandelion clock among a bunch of grass.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 18/04/2025

A thing I forgot to share about DIVINING THE LEAVES but definitely plan to trumpet from the rafters going forward: THE @terriwindling.bsky.social was kind enough to let me excerpt her gorgeous poem, "The Night Journey," for the book! So if you need a portal into spring magic and hope, here you go:

The cover of DIVINING THE LEAVES, featuring the Kalpavriksha and a girl and a boy in Indian clothes with leaves and flowers.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 11/04/2025

Come see cool authors like @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social and me this Saturday at the South Jersey Children's Book Festival!

A schedule of the programming for the South Jersey Children's Book Festival this Saturday.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 18/03/2025

Casual reminder that tomorrow I'll be in Philly with @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social and @clairelegrandbooks.bsky.social to celebrate the release of Divining the Leaves with a signing and to chat about books. You should come too! Register here! www.eventbrite.com/e/shveta-tha...

A marketing graphic depicting the book Divining the Leaves with the text "Shevta Thakrar discussion and signing with Clare Legrand and Eric Smith Wednesday March 19th at 6pm."

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 13/03/2025

How would you like to win a copy of Divining the Leaves along with a handmade perfume inspired by the novel? GOOD NEWS! We have two copies and two perfumes to giveaway and you can win one just by subscribing to my newsletter, Notes from the Night Market. mailchi.mp/b0033b16e1ca...

A picture of Shveta Thakrar's novel Divining the Leaves along with a perfume propped up by a tree trunk.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 10/03/2025

I keep forgetting to ask you if you have any of Cinderwing's rose dragons! I got one last year (for Reasons), and I love her so much:

A rose dragon by Cinderwing that looks like a living rose garden, being dusty rose on top where the blooms are and green on the underside and feet.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 07/03/2025

Thank you! My latest YA fantasy, DIVINING THE LEAVES, came out on Tuesday, and it's full of forest magic, yakshas (Hindu/Buddhist nature spirits), natural perfumes, flower crowns, a girl who believes in magic, a boy who doesn't, and a magical Night Market. www.harpercollins.com/products/div...

The beautiful cover of DIVINING THE LEAVES, with the text "Shveta Thakrar" and "Author of Nebula Award Finalist STAR DAUGHTER" and an Indian-American girl and boy in flowery Indian clothes against a magical tree.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 06/03/2025

Every day. (Also, Leanna is the best.)

My best friend Lindsey and I in flowery, colorful, magical outfits at Brave + Kind Bookshop in front of a wall with books and stickers and the words "Be Brave + Be Kind." One hundred percent our philosophy, as well as dressing our age. ;) (I'm also holding a copy of the newly released DIVINING THE LEAVES, my enchanted forest novel that I hope you'll check out!)

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 04/03/2025

Divining the Leaves is out in the wild today! I hope you love exploring the magical forest. ✨🍃

It's the cover of Shveta Thakrar's book Divining the Leaves featuring Desi teen characters in front of a magical tree.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 17/02/2025

It's a triptych! (All standalones, all featuring different characters and different bits of Hindu mythology, but all under in the same universe and all connected by a magical Night Market.)

A picture of the hardcovers of STAR DAUGHTER, THE DREAM RUNNERS, and DIVINING THE LEAVES side by side on a chair.

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Shveta Thakrar @shvetathakrar.com · 16/02/2025

My author copies of Divining the Leaves are in! ✨🍃🍂🌸

A picture of Shveta holding a copy of her book Divining the Leaves.

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