Episode 9

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Published on:

11th May 2026

Varsha Bajaj

Episode 9 – Varsha Bajaj

How did a bedtime game with her son and a flyer at the public library spark Varsha Bajaj's path to becoming a bestselling children's author?

In this episode of My First Book Story, Meredith Davis talks with New York Times bestselling author Varsha Bajaj about the journey that led to her first published book, How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight?. A sweet counting game with Varsha’s young son became the heart of her debut picture book. Varsha shares how she sold the manuscript without an agent at an SCBWI Editor’s Day in Houston, and how the years of doubt, rejection, and slow-building craft that followed shaped her commitment to writing the kinds of stories all kids deserve.

Books mentioned

  • Thirst (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Thirst-Varsha-Bajaj/dp/0593354397)
  • Count Me In (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Count-Me-Varsha-Bajaj/dp/0525517243)
  • Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Abby-Spencer-Bollywood-Varsha-Bajaj/dp/0807563633)
  • The Home Builders (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Home-Builders-Varsha-Bajaj/dp/0399166858)
  • How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight? (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/How-Many-Kisses-Want-Tonight/dp/0316067350)
  • Goodnight Moon (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Goodnight-Moon-Margaret-Wise-Brown/dp/0064430170)
  • T is for Taj Mahal: An India Alphabet (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Taj-Mahal-India-Alphabet-Discover/dp/1585365041)
  • Roar (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Roar-Varsha-Bajaj/dp/059369905X)

Links

  • Varsha Bajaj (https://www.varshabajaj.com)
  • Meredith Davis (https://meredithldavis.com)
  • Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (https://www.scbwi.org)
  • Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (https://www.lbyr.com)
  • Sleeping Bear Press (https://sleepingbearpress.com)
  • Nancy Paulsen Books (https://www.penguin.com/nancy-paulsen-books-overview/)
  • Episode Webpage (https://open.substack.com/pub/meredithdavis/p/varsha-bajajs-first-book-story)

Theme music by Nate Davis

Produced by Clay Davis

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About the Podcast

My First Book Story
Interviews with successful authors about their journeys to their first published book
Welcome to My First Book Story, where I interview successful authors about their journeys to their first published book. Whether you’re still chasing your first book contract, going after the next one, or pursuing some other dream, these short interviews will inspire you to keep going.

Have you ever wondered how to break through an editor’s slush pile and breach the publishing wall? There are many paths to success, and each one is different. Mine was more than a decade in the making, others happened almost overnight. But the one thing each of these stories has in common is that it ends with a published book in the hands of readers.

I’m Meredith Davis, a traditionally published children’s book author living in Austin, Texas, a hotbed of talented book writers and illustrators. I’ve been in this world for thirty years, I’ve heard some great stories, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

About your host

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Meredith Davis

Meredith Davis is the author of THE MINOR MIRACLE and THE MINOR RESCUE, books one and two in THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF NOAH MINOR series (Waterbrook, 2024/25) and co-author of HER OWN TWO FEET: A RWANDAN GIRL’S BRAVE FIGHT TO WALK (Scholastic, 2019). She once worked at an independent children’s bookstore, started the Austin Chapter of SCBWI, and earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults at VCFA. Her superpowers include reading, grandmothering, and finding ways to fit more books in her Austin, Texas home.