About Dr. Riya Sharma
Dr. Riya is a dental surgeon who specializes in Endodontics, daughter and wife of an Army Officer, mother to a 2-year-old, she is a distinction holder and gold medalist in her field. She is a budding author who believes in conscious living and gentle parenting.
LiFT: Tell us about your book, the journey of writing it and its content.
Dr. Riya: Short text and illustration helps parents communicate with their kids. It’s time we should stop giving negative tags to our kids who just need love of the caregiver, providing a sense of secure attachment leading to a strong emotional development.
Baby panda got emotions, is an initiative to bring awareness among parents to not dismiss the emotional needs of babies.
After becoming a mother, especially being a working mom, I did not find books which catered to the issues which a child goes through on everyday basis in simple understanding language.
For eg. in my books 1st page, it shows a panda who goes under the blanket, refuses to go to school, mostly parents dismiss the reason and make sure the kid went to school, they don’t try to understand the reason behind the kid’s refusal. At such times it’s important to communicate with them and know where the emotion is coming from (in case they had some unpleasant experience in school).
The book will have 6 more series so that parents become more aware.
LiFT: Why you chose this title?
Dr. Riya: This title is very close to my heart as Panda is my child’s favorite animal and as a mom, I know a lot of kids who can associate with the character.
LiFT: When did you realize that you want to be a writer and what’s your inspiration behind it?
Dr. Riya: Like I have mentioned before in my previous answers, it all came to me after becoming a mother, and my child is my absolute inspiration.
LiFT: Where do you see yourself ten years down the line in the world of literature?
Dr. Riya: 10 years down the line I want to be able to finish the baby panda series as well as come up with more such books to bridge the gap between the kids and parents.
LiFT: How much do you think marketing or quality of a book is necessary to promote a particular book and increase its readers?
Dr. Riya: As a reader, I believe the quality of printing is outmost importance especially when it comes to books for children. Marketing is an important tool especially for 1st time authors like me, it bridges the gap of unknown. Afterall, everyone wants to invest money in places which contribute some value to the life.
LiFT: What is the message you want to spread among folks with your writings?
Dr. Riya: I have just one goal. Raising kids is the most important thing, as we are raising the whole next generation, and the values we instill in them can have a deep impact on how the world will be in future. It all comes from the environment in which the child grows. Providing them the right one will make world better for us all.
LiFT: What do you do apart from writing?
Dr. Riya: I am a dental professional and I work towards making life of my patients less painful.
LiFT: What are the activities you resort to when you face a writer’s block?
Dr. Riya: I just watch my child and playing with him carves a path for me to glide through.
LiFT: Are you working on your next book? If yes, please tell us something about it.
Dr. Riya: Yes, I am working on the next part. Which talks about ‘why the panda skipped school?’
LiFT: What are your suggestions to the budding writers/poets so that they could improve their writing skills?
Dr. Riya: Just go with the flow and follow the intuition of the heart.
Click here to order Dr. Riya Sharma’s Book – Baby Panda Got Emotions
