An Interview with Ekta Garg

A voracious reader since preschool, Ekta was one of those ‘nerdy’ kids who competed in spelling bees. If her parents wanted to punish her, they would take away her books, so Ekta made sure to behave. She got her start in niche publishing in 2005 and has written about and edited everything from healthcare to home improvement to Hindi films.

Ekta is currently the managing editor of Neighbors of Southwest Champaign, a hyper-local magazine in Central Illinois that focuses on and lifts up the Champaign community. A writing contest judge and frequent writing workshop presenter at her local library, Ekta also hosts Biblio Breakdown on her author website. In this writing podcast, she talks about great books and how to write them (visit ektargarg.com and click on Biblio Breakdown). She also manages The Write Edge about all things writing, and The Write Edge Bookshelf, where she reviews new and upcoming books.

Her first book, The Truth About Elves—a holiday novella for grownups about a man who works part-time for Santa as an elf—won the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards for Best Novella. Her first novel, In the Heart of the Linden Wood—an original fairy tale for grownups about a grieving king who has to go on a quest to save his kingdom from a major threat—won the 2024 Kindle Book Awards for Best Cover. Both are available now from Atmosphere Press.

Outside of reading, writing, and editing, Ekta follows the latest gossip out of Bollywood, dances in the kitchen while she’s making dinner, and tries to keep her compulsion to reorganize everything in check. She lives in Central Illinois with her husband and family.

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Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Surprisingly, this time around it was easy for me to decide on the title. The Witch’s Apprentice is the short story that started this collection for me, so it made sense to honor the piece in the title of the book. I did consider, briefly, a ‘cutesy’ name or a play on words, but decided against it.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

This is my third book with Atmosphere Press and cover designer Kevin Stone, and I feel like, even though we’ve never talked, Kevin and I have met through our work—me through my stories and him through his visualization of them. Kevin’s covers are always an absolute delight, and this one was no exception. His art shines, but also brings out the best in my books, and I hope we get to do many, many more together!

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t surrounded by books. I’ve had a deep, passionate love affair with them since before I even knew what that meant or even before I had the vocabulary to articulate how I felt.

As for works that have influenced me, if I look back on all the books I’ve loved and re-read time and time again throughout my life, the majority of them are books with some magical element to them, either because of the genre (like the Narnia books or The Wheel of Time series) or because of the way they were written and the protagonist (think Anne of Green Gables). More and more, I’m finding that this is a space I love and want to keep exploring as an author.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

All the ‘serious’ professional opportunities I’ve pursued have always been connected to writing, storytelling, and publishing in some capacity—no surprise there!

Something readers may not know about me: When I was a teenager, I spent a summer working in the food court of our mall in Myrtle Beach in one of the fast food restaurants there. I mopped the floor a lot and lugged huge buckets of ice from a machine in the back to a bin in the front area where we served customers. I was working my way up to learning the cash register, but then the summer ended, so I never got that far. (Don’t worry, I get my fix now whenever I do book events and ring up copies of my books for people buying them.) I honestly can’t remember why I didn’t go back after that summer, but it was an experience that stayed with me.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

Hearing people say they enjoyed my stories or, even better, that my stories have impacted them in some deep, emotional way. I write to explore how the ideas of grief, magic, and hope intersect, and I also write to connect with people. Knowing that I’m successful in that goal makes me happy and is also humbling and gratifying all at the same time.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Given that this is the second book I’ve written that connects to fairy tales in some way, I would have to stick with the Western classical greats—Bach, Beethoven, etc. This book contains five individual short stories, so I think each would have its own piece connected to it.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I want people to remember what it was like when they read books as children and felt that sense of wonderment fill them from head to toe when they encountered magical stories, characters, and creatures. When we become adults, so many responsibilities occupy the biggest part of our attention, and I hope readers encounter my work and give themselves the grace to be kids filled with awe once again.

My perfect reader is someone who probably lives their everyday life but stays open to the fact that there can be magic in it. Someone who, even when life knocks them down, staggers back to their feet and keeps fighting. Someone who is open to change and to possibilities while also staying true to who they are and to their loved ones.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

Earlier this year, a story poem I wrote got published in a local anthology. It explores the point of view of the evil stepmother in Cinderella and what she was thinking on the day the invitation to the ball arrived at their home.

I’m also actively exploring ideas for my fourth book. There are a few that I really want to tackle; the biggest problem is deciding which one to work on first!

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

I’m so grateful to Nick Courtright and the entire team for making my writing dreams come true and helping me turn this into not just a dream accomplished, but a career realized. Start to finish, the entire team is truly author cheerleaders. It’s a pleasure, privilege, and honor to be published by Atmosphere Press!

For writers who want to publish, I would say to spend some time exploring the different options for publishing. There are so many ways a writer can share work these days, and each path has its own twists, turns, hardships, challenges, and rewards. As you do your research, think carefully about how you fit into that particular publishing option and whether it makes sense for you. Then go with that and don’t look back. Remember, no one will work harder than you to make your publishing dreams come true, so don’t let anything knock you down or keep you there.

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