I still remember the first story I penned. It was about a magical crystal ball and my very encouraging English teacher had made me read it out loud in front of the whole class. Since I was only six at that time, a block like stage fear didn't exist, and it was all fun and giggles. Since I started reading and writing at a very young age, I had finished novelettes by the time I was a teenager (they're still my most valuable possessions). By the time I was in college, I was freelancing for various publications and websites. Over the years, I worked as a contributing editor, advertising copywriter, technical writer, and an award-winning instructional designer. I started my journey as an author by first learning the ropes of writing children and young adult fiction from the Institute of Children’s Literature, United States. As with many authors, success eluded me for long. The turning point came when I was adjudged one of the winners in the nationwide WriteIndia contest, organized by the Times of India group. It was the answer to a question I'd been asking for a long time; it gave me the courage to finally bring the Take Three Mysteries series to life. Currently, I'm a hands-on mother to my seven-year-old daughter and a corporate consultant. I love connecting with readers and authors! Connect with me on Twitter @RichaWriter, on Instagram @richawriter, or on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/GoanChase. You can also visit my website @ www.richawriter.com.