My Story

RajaniAge8-Reading-in-Airport-01 For bios and downloadable hi-res images, please see my Press Kit.

Here’s my story…

I was born in Bangalore, India and immigrated to the U.S. as a baby. I spent most of my childhood in Louisville, Kentucky.

I attended Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, and trained in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. I’ve been working as a primary care physician since 2001. I live in eastern Massachusetts with my wonderful husband, our two brilliant kids, and an impossibly cute dog.

I’ve always been an omnivorous reader – cereal boxes, comic books, fortune cookie fortunes, magazine articles, and, of course, novels. The books I read as a child helped shape who I am today in ways that I’m still discovering. Books inspired me to pursue medicine as a career; books made me yearn to live in different worlds; books helped me consider what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes. I still love realistic fiction with puzzles or riddles (like The Westing Game), realistic fiction with a touch of magic (like A Wrinkle in Time), and full-blown sci-fi and fantasy (like The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter series). I also love anything to do with Shakespeare. I believe that promoting diversity in children’s literature leads to empathy, and empathy makes the world a better place.

One of the best things about writing for kids is meeting other people who write for kids. I’m a member of SCBWI, The Writers’ Loft in Hudson, MA, and the 12 x 12 picture book community. I’m a proud Pitch Wars 2017 alum and mentor! I’m a member of a powerhouse group of debut picture book writers and illustrators, the Soaring 20s.

I’m represented by the marvelous Brent Taylor of TriadaUS Literary Agency.

I write novels and picture books. Some of my books reflect my experiences as an immigrant, book nerd, and foodie; some explain medical topics to kids. And some are just ideas that pop into my head and won’t go away.

And that’s only the beginning of the story…

FAQ’s

Where do you get your ideas?

Anywhere and everywhere! Some of my ideas come from my experiences as a child, some from things I’m fascinated with in the natural world (especially science/medical topics). Some ideas present themselves as interesting situations, and sometimes characters just show up and start talking to me. I’ve also been known to write stories based on titles that pop into in my head.

How do you pronounce your name?

RUHJ-uh-nee La-ROCK-ah. It’s Indian and Italian, just like my family!

What do you do about writer's block?

When I’m stuck, I like to take a walk…especially with my dog. Talking to someone else — a fellow writer or good friend — can also help. But my favorite way of combatting writer’s block is to work on a different project and accomplish something there. By the time I’ve worked on something else for a while, my subconscious has usually gotten me unstuck.

Why do you write for kids?

I’ve loved books every since I was little, and some of the books that are dearest to me, the ones I read over and over and changed me the most, were the ones I read as a kid. I want to write those kinds of fun stories, full of humor and heart, for kids today. Also, it’s possible that my brain is stuck at twelve years old.

Are you really a doctor? Do you still practice medicine?

Although I write for kids, I’m a doctor for adults. I practice medicine in the Boston area. In fact, there are a lot of similarities between being a doctor and being a writer. I wrote a blog post about that topic here.

Do you like to bake? What are your favorite things to make?

Like my character Mimi, I love to bake! I love baking breads (yeast and quickbreads), cakes (full-size and cupcakes), brownies, cookies, tarts, meringues…I could keep going for a long time. My all-time favorite? It’s hard to beat a really excellent chocolate chip cookie.

Why do you like Shakespeare? What's your favorite play?

I love all of Shakespeare’s writing, but especially his plays, because he created unforgettable characters, both “great” people and “regular” people, and put them into impossible situations. Like all the best stories, Shakespeare’s make us laugh AND cry. And his language is so beautiful and so creative (he invented so many words we still use today!) that I can’t help but love it. My favorite play is A Midsummer Night’s Dream, of course, but my next two favorite are Much Ado About Nothing and The Tempest.

What's your Hogwarts House?

Ravenclaw. But with strong Hufflepuff tendencies.