Interview With Author Kavya Thakrar

 

1. What inspired you to write this book?

I wanted to understand how women build confidence and identity, so I interviewed women I admire to learn the moments that shaped them—and to create something my younger self would have needed.

 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for?
Bows and Ties is a collection of interviews and reflections about sisterhood, resilience, and growing up with strong female influence. It’s written for young women, teens, and anyone interested in women’s stories.

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?
I hope they feel seen, supported, and inspired to trust their voice—and to appreciate the women who helped shape it.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?
The title represents the ties between generations of women, and the “bows” symbolize girlhood. The cover is soft, feminine, and meant to feel like a keepsake.

 

5. What advice do you have for fellow writers?
Start before you feel “ready.” Your voice develops through the process, not before it.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see — and where is publishing heading?
Readers want authenticity and lived experience. Publishing is becoming more accessible, with young and independent authors gaining more space.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life that helped?
Growing up surrounded by strong South Asian women—and interviewing women through my school projects—taught me how to listen deeply and write with care.

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Similar writers?
Lyrical, introspective, and grounded in emotion. Readers have compared it to modern personal-essay collections by authors like Chanel Miller or Suleika Jaouad.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome?
Balancing school with writing, and proving credibility as a sixteen-year-old author. I had to learn everything—editing, publishing, and marketing—from scratch.

 

10. If people can buy one book this month, why should it be yours?
Because it reminds you of the women who made you—and gives you stories that feel like a warm, honest conversation you didn’t know you needed.

 

About The Author: Bows and Ties is a modern sisterhood-centered nonfiction book written by sixteen-year-old author Kavya Thakrar, who spent a year interviewing nineteen remarkable women, from founders and CEOs to creatives and doctors, to understand the experiences that shaped their confidence, identity, and voice. Blending personal storytelling with cultural nuance, the book explores what it means to grow up, be guided by women, and become someone others can look up to. Through intimate conversations and lyrical reflections, Bows and Ties celebrates intergenerational wisdom and invites young women to see their own resilience reflected back at them. Please see the following: https://www.instagram.com/bowsandtiesbook/

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

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About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,400,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum