Indie Support Sunday: Khushi T. Saha
- Mar 30
- 6 min read
When Indians meet each other, in any setting, there’s a spark of excitement. Always. So when Khushi T. Saha followed me and then got in touch about collaborating on a giveaway, I was thrilled! And since then, I’ve discovered that she’s got a solid backlist for all of us to go through and have added all her books to my TBR. PS. They all feature South Asian/Indian characters and that’s already a good reason to grab them!
Khushi’s books are inspired by her own experiences of being a South Asian woman in middle America while learning how to navigate the world. She also honours the other South Asian women she knows through her stories. And let’s not forget a vivid dream she had that forced her awake to write it all down! I think that’s the true sign of an author, because our brains are always creating stories and some are so intense we can’t help but share them with the world!
You can find all of Khushi’s books in Kindle Unlimited.
BEING AN AUTHOR
Who or what inspired you to write?
My experiences growing up in middle America as a first generation South Asian, breaking free from my family’s expectations (with my career), and marrying a non South Asian are what inspired me to write.
What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author?
You hear it all the time: marketing and costs. I make very little as an indie author, but the only way to get myself out there is to market myself and attend in person events. It’s costly and time consuming! Marketing is also always changing and social media is my enemy but I work with it when I get the energy.
Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?
Because I want to write my stories without anyone telling me how I should write them.
When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?
Binge watch a ton of Netflix, Hulu, etc. And read, read, read. I read other romances, thrillers, mysteries … really anything I can get my hands on for inspo.
If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?
Well I have to recommend mine, don’t I? 😉
But any other genre—I’m really loving Sally Hepsworth and her way of storytelling. She writes crime fiction/Chick Lit and I get lost in them. I also love Freida McFadden’s Housemaid series. Those are mysteries. And before I go off on a tangent on my other favorite books, I love the classics like Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. That is the ultimate romance right there with tropes like billionaire, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, social status clashes, gossiping aunties/relatives, misunderstandings. I love it and read it at least once a year!
What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?
Stay true to yourself—whether self-publishing or trad. You have to be proud of your work!
Make sure to take breaks. Burnout is real. I’m just coming off the tail end of a really long burnout phase.
Read other genres outside of what you write
Newsletters are a key way to connect solely with your readers without social media interfering with algorithms. Once a month, that’s all you have to do!
Always have someone else look at your work. Even if you can’t afford an editor, have a trusted friend or family member read over your work for any editing issues or even plot holes.
ROMANCE AS A GENRE
Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?
I’ve always been a romantic. I’ve wanted to fall in love ever since I was a teenager and always made up stories in my head with my teen crushes involved. I think it was completely natural for me to want to write my story as a romance when it came to it. Plus, that’s how the story came to me in a really vivid dream.
If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?
Probably Chick Lit.
What are your most and least favorite tropes?
Favorite trope by far is second chances. Least favorite is … and don’t come for me readers … anything to do with sports romances.
What are some tropes you want to write in the future?
A sports romance. And he’s always been in love with her (I’m trying to write this one now!)
What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?
Continue showcasing different body types, mental health, neurodivergent characters, interracial relationships, breaking social and cultural boundaries.
If you write open door romance, why did you choose that and what inspires your sex scenes?
Sex isn’t something to be ashamed of. We’re taught that in South Asian culture because we never talk about it openly. I wanted to showcase sex as a main form of communication in relationships, and that South Asians do enjoy steamy sex, too!
Inspirations for sex scenes come from my own fantasies, and dare I say too much, but my own relationships both past and present.
YOUR BOOKS
What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?
My very first book was inspired by a vivid dream I had that incorporated not only very real characters, but a scenario of trauma that I was experiencing at the time. It was so vivid I woke up and had to write it down. It started to become an actual story and simultaneously became a healing practice for me.
When I was finished with it, I realized, as one of three daughters, that I owed it to my sisters, and the other South Asian women I grew up with, to publish it because our experiences of finding our identities growing up in America, dating, racism, etc, are sprinkled throughout the story. My experiences definitely shaped who I am today, as does what my FMC goes through shapes who she is and the decisions she makes for her HEA.
Can you briefly tell me about your books?
They all take place in the same universe. All are contemporary and start off in New York because I lived a large part of my life in NYC and miss it. Every single book has a South Asian main character that becomes involved in a romance with a non South Asian.
Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?
No. I love them all equally, like I do my real children :)
If you were to cast your book for a movie/television show, who would you cast in the lead roles?
I honestly do not see my books ever reaching this stage.
How much of yourself do you put into these characters?
A lot. Even the male characters.
What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?
Overcoming familial social/cultural rules in order to find happiness. It’s so common in South Asian culture to know someone who was never true to themselves; who tried to find happiness in what others dictated they should do in life, and thus are miserable now. I have family members like this and it’s agonizing seeing them living their lives that way because they complain and feel stuck.
Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?
South Asian representation and finding authenticity in one’s self.
What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?
I’m trying to put my storytelling hat back on with my next book, but the characters are being difficult (ie, I’m still trying to find inspo).
When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?
All the feels. Anger, Happiness, Frustration, Sadness, Giddiness, Hope.
AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks
Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense
Single or Dual POV
Standalones, series or standalones in a series—I could do any of these!
Open door, ajar door or closed door romances
Music or silence when writing
Plotter, pantser or plantser
Water, tea, coffee or….wine?
Cold or warm weather
Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?—Always the night, even when I want to go to bed, that’s when my creativity flows
Illustrated or photo cover?
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