Spotlight & Giveaway: The Baby Dragon Bookshop by A.T. Qureshi

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author A.T. Qureshi to HJ!

Hi A.T. Qureshi and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Baby Dragon Bookshop!

Hello, and thank you so much for having me! I’m so thrilled to be talking about my newest cozy romantasy, The Baby Dragon Bookshop.
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

The Baby Dragon Bookshop is about a dragon-roasted coffee business owner, Emmeline, who has to compete against her detested business rival, Luke, to win an investment to grow her business. But Emmeline and Luke have a complicated history, and as they spend more time in each other’s company, sparks fly, and soon, they can’t ignore the connection between them.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

“Their gazes were locked, and it felt like the beginning of a book he knew would become his favorite story.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• I love bookstores! My favorites include my local indie, Book & Mortar in Long Island and the Strand in New York City. The many hours I have spent in bookstores both across the US and in every country I visit definitely inspired the Tales & Tails Bookshop!
• My sister and I are fiercely close, which was a huge inspiration for Emmeline’s protectiveness over her little sister, Millie. I can absolutely see my older sister getting revenge on a boy who broke my heart the same way Emmy gets revenge on Luke.
• The world of Starshine Valley is inspired by some of my favorite small towns, like Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls and Bluebell in Hart of Dixie.
• While I love coffee, I am not as varied in my tastes as Emmeline and Luke are – I mostly stick to flavored lattes! The one time I tried drip-coffee, I was bouncing off the walls because of how much caffeine it had.
• Like Emmeline and Luke, I adore Letters to Milena by Franz Kafka, which is why I wanted the book to play a role in their relationship.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

For Emmeline, she really appreciates how much Luke pays attention to her, and she even says: “It was a little strange to talk like this; she was so used to being the one who listened. With her family, she was the one in the background, but with him, she felt as if she had been brought into focus.”

And for Luke, he is in awe of Emmeline’s range: He sees just how clever and sharp she is when it comes to her business and dragons, and he also sees how big-hearted and caring she is when it comes to her family and the ones she loves.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

I found myself laughing at a scene in Chapter 12 where Emmeline visits her sister, who has two toddlers and just had another baby: the family scene is chaotic but hilarious, and leads to the two sisters hiding away in the closet for some alone time, where they eat chocolate-covered-espresso beans.

I also have a big family and am close with my sister, so I always love including wholesome family moments in my books.

“The baby dragon looked thoroughly harassed by the two toddlers. He landed on top of the couch, then hid behind his wings.”

Readers should read this book….

If they enjoy romance with a touch of fantasy; enemies-to-lovers; adorable and mischievous baby dragons that are like the animal sidekicks of a Disney princess movie; main characters who get under each others’ skin; and charming small towns with low stakes.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I have just finished up the final edits on Rider of Dragons, which is coming out in September of 2026! It’s set in the same universe of the Baby Dragon books but delves into the darker side of Starshine Valley with the illegal dragon races, and I am so excited to share it with everyone!

I also have a Young Adult book out before then in March called A Witch’s Guide to Love and Deception. This is a cozy romantasy about a princess who runs away from her impending marriage to try and find love on her own terms.
 
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: A copy of THE BABY DRAGON BOOKSHOP to one US only winner

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: How does a complicated history either aid or injure a budding relationship?

Excerpt from The Baby Dragon Bookshop:

She was brilliant and clever—a fact he needed to not admire at the moment when those very qualities would lead to his downfall.
Emmeline whipped around, catching him looking. “Are you following me?” she snapped.
He absolutely was, but he looked at her like she was absurd. “Not at all,” he said. He pointed to the table behind her. “Just getting more tea.”
She narrowed her eyes at him as he strode toward her. “You hate that stuff.”
The words were spoken as if they had slipped out; her dark eyes immediately widened. He slowed his steps, stopping right in front of her.
His lips parted with surprise. She remembered that. Why would she remember that?
Could it be that she thought of that time together as often as he did?
He took a step toward her, looking closer. Before he could dissect her expression, she went to walk past him, turning her cheek.
She made it two steps before a red-scaled baby dragon shot across the bookshop, right into her path. And for the first time, Luke saw Emmeline falter.
In trying to avoid stepping on the baby dragon, she lost her balance. Arms flailing, she dropped her coat and stumbled forward. Luke stepped forward, easily catching her as she landed straight into his arms.
Her hands clutched the front of his shirt, the fabric bunching between her fingers. He inhaled the sweet scent of jasmine on her skin. His blood quickened, roaring in his ears as he touched her bare elbows, holding her up.
Her sharp intake of breath filled his ears. She brought her gaze up to his, and he found himself drowning in her kajal- lined eyes. Her lips parted.
Suddenly, they weren’t business rivals with a complicated history—they were just two university students, their eyes big and bright.

Excerpted from THE BABY DRAGON BOOKSHOP by A.T. Qureshi, copyright 2026. Reprinted with permission by HarperCollins.
 
 

Book Info:

A standalone cozy romance filled with books, baby dragons, and happily ever after guaranteed!

Emmy has an enemy, and his name is Luke. The good news? She rarely sees him. The bad news? When she does, she (and her pet dragons) are reminded just how handsome he is.

Besides, Emmy is too busy focusing on her dragon-fuelled business to have time for love. But when both she and Luke approach the same local investor for funding, she’s suddenly unable to avoid him. The kookie investor insists they must compete for the cash by working at the local failing baby dragon bookshop to prove their magical business knowledge.

Determined to win the funding, Emmy dives into the task. But making a very flammable bookshop fit for baby dragons is no small feat, and it seems these rivals may need to join forces. Could Luke and Emmy’s fiery animosity spark something more between them?
Book Links:   Amazon | B&N |
 
 

Meet the Author:

A.T Qureshi is a Pakistani, Muslim American who adores words. She is an award-winning and USA Today, Times, and Amazon bestselling author who grew up on Long Island, New York, in a very loud household, surrounded by English (for school), Urdu (for conversation), and Punjabi (for emotion). When she’s not writing, she loves to travel to new places where she can explore different cultures or to Pakistan where she can revitalize her roots. She also loves baking complicated desserts, drinking fancy teas and coffees, watching sappy rom-coms, and going for walks about the estate (her backyard).
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