Tori Young asked Roshani Chokshi:

Okay seriously your books are amazing! (The Star Touched Queen completely tore my heart out but its ok.) Anyway, I really want to write about a specific time period but the research required seems extremely extensive. I was wondering, how much research went into writing these books? Was it exhausting or fun?

Roshani Chokshi Hi Victoria! Thanks for your question, and I'm so glad you enjoy my writing! The research that went into these books was not exhaustive, but it was gathered slowly over a huge span of time. The reason is because A Crown of Wishes and The Star-Touched Queen are based off of the stories my grandmother would tell me at night. Those tales have roots in the ancient Hindu epics like the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the plays of Kalidasa. The research I did was more about exploring the mythological background of characters rather than focusing on the time period itself. But to answer your next question, I think it was both exhausting and fun. As it is with any research! My next Young Adult novel, THE GILDED WOLVES, is historical fantasy. I would lose *hours* of my life wondering if I could write something like "he dropped ice in the glass." Let me tell ya...researching the history of ice manufacturing is fabulously dense and leaves one with the worst feeling after you decide you don't need that sentence/paragraph anyway haha. I would tackle the story that calls to you. Treat it like a marriage. In sickness, in health, rich or poor. This is a commitment. It will come with sacrifice, which includes your time. It will come with agony and frustration. And, hopefully, it will be worth it in the end. Good luck!

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