Walking into a book store is like being surrounded by friends. -Nandini Bajpai Meet a woman who wrote her first story in the second grade and has been writing them ever since! Born in New Delhi to a mother and father who encouraged both written expression AND the fine art of conversation around the dinner table, Nandini Bajpai has written 5 books for children and tweens. www.nandinibajpai.com. Her latest book: A Match Made in Mehendi is about a young girl who has inherited the ancient gift of being a matchmaker. Published by Little Brown & Company, the book marks the author’s U.S. debut. In this interview, Nandini shares her determination to include the people and rich culture of her native India in all of her books, saying “when I was growing up, there were no stories for kids like me. I wanted to change that for my own kids.” Once a systems analyst and a bookseller, Nandini has also traveled the world and is a big believer in the lessons we learn from every job and every chapter in our lives. The journey a writer takes from idea to publication is also explored in this interview. She credits her mother’s sage advice when faced with life’s inevitable obstacles, roadblocks and disappointments: “Keep going. It’s almost like Dori in Finding Nemo. Keep Swimming. Never give up.”  #tweenauthors   #matchmaking   @BWME    #storybehindhersuccess    #16LifeLessons    #mydoveproductions