Amina Akhtar
Author Interview - Amina Akhtar
Author of Kismet
Lifelong New Yorker Ronnie Khan never thought she’d leave Queens. She’s not an “aim high, dream big” person—until she meets socialite wellness guru Marley Dewhurst.
Marley isn’t just a visionary; she’s a revelation. Her enthusiasm for achieving her best self is like a fever dream. Seduced by Marley’s blinding ambition, Ronnie makes for the desert hills of Sedona, Arizona.
Sedona isn’t just a place, of course. It’s a lifestyle: healing yoga, transcendent hikes, epic smoothies. Ronnie consumes her new bougie existence like a fine wine—but is it, really? Or is this whole wellness business a little sour? When the glam gurus around town start turning up gruesomely murdered, Ronnie has her answer: all is not well in wellness town. Even a decent juice cleanse can’t make things right again. As Marley’s obsession veers into madness, Ronnie starts to fear for her life.
Author Interview - Amina Akhtar
Author I draw inspiration from: So many! Kellye Garrett, Liz Little, Alex Segura, Caroline Kepnes, Jennifer Hillier
Author Interview - Amina Akhtar | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: My bed!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Joe Goldberg from You would be entertaining. Sure, he might kill me, but I'd have fun
Author Interview - Amina Akhtar | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I wanted to write books at 6 years old. It took 30 + years for me to do it!
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Any format, though I don't listen to audiobooks much (I have issues with sound sometimes)
The last book I read: Road of Bones by Christopher Golden--amazing. He's such a brilliant writer!
Author Interview - Amina Akhtar | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Both! I recently got a moleskine that syncs to my phone, so I can scribble notes and have them saved!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Lena Scott from Like a Sister. She's hilarious and gets answers!
Author Interview - Amina Akhtar | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: Maybe run a dog sanctuary (which I still might do!)
Favorite decade in fashion history: The 90s, hands down. Anything from when McQueen was still alive.
Place I’d most like to travel: Scotland
My signature drink: Coffee
Number one on my bucket list: Travel and write more books. Boring but that's all I want to do! And maybe rescue more dogs.
Find more from the author:
Insta and twitter are both: Drrramina
Author Bio: Amina Akhtar is a former fashion writer and editor. Her satirical first novel, #FashionVictim, drew rave reviews and acclaim and was covered in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Martha Stewart Living, Entertainment Weekly, Fashionista, Book Riot, CrimeReads, and more. Akhtar’s new book Kismet takes on the world of wellness and all the crystals that go with it. This #OwnVoices novel is set in Sedona, Arizona, where nature is just as much a character as anyone else.
Akhtar has worked at Vogue, Elle, the New York Times, and New York Magazine, where she was the founding editor of the women’s blog The Cut. She’s written for numerous publications, including Yahoo Style, Fashionista, xoJane, Refinery29, Billboard, and more. She currently lives not too far from the Sedona vortexes. Kismet is her second novel.
