Digital Book Nook recently caught up with Kirana Sidin, author of “Cheers for a Good Life.” We are excited to share this insightful interview with our readers today. 

When did you first discover that you enjoy writing and wanted to become a published author?

Honestly, it all started with my youngest child calling me “jobless.”

That stung. Not because it was entirely wrong, but because it made me realize I had been drifting. I had a full life, a happy one, in fact, but I wasn’t intentionally building something that was truly mine.

So I started small.

I committed to reading for one hour every morning. There was no master plan, no dream of becoming an author. Just a woman, a cup of coffee, and a stack of books before the rest of the house woke up.

The more I read, the more I reflected. Eventually, those reflections became blog posts. One essay led to another, and before I knew it, I had written hundreds of them.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn’t just writing articles anymore, I was writing a conversation. That conversation eventually became Cheers for a Good Life.

I didn’t set out to become a published author. I simply discovered that I had something worth sharing. Publishing became the natural next step, not the original destination.

Looking back, I think that’s why my writing feels the way it does. It wasn’t born from the ambition to publish a book. It grew out of a daily practice of paying attention to ordinary life, to quiet moments, and to the lessons hidden inside them.

What is your favorite and the most challenging aspect of writing?

My favorite part of writing is discovering meaning in ordinary moments.

A cup of coffee that my husband makes in the morning. A conversation with one of my children, with a friend. A mistake I wish I had handled differently. Most people would probably move on without thinking twice, but I find myself asking, “What is this moment trying to teach me?”

That’s usually where my writing begins.

The most challenging part is making those deeply personal experiences feel universal. I never want readers to feel like they’re reading about my life. I want them to see their own lives reflected in mine.

I also try very hard not to write from a place of certainty. Life is rarely that simple. I’m not interested in giving people formulas or pretending I have all the answers. I’d rather invite them into a conversation, one where we’re both still learning.

If a reader finishes one of my books feeling understood rather than instructed, then I know I’ve done my job.

Tell us about your latest release.

My latest book, Cheers for a Good Life, grew out of a question that stayed with me for a long time:

What does a good life actually feel like from the inside?

Not the polished version we curate for social media, but the real one, the one built through ordinary mornings, difficult conversations, quiet victories, and countless small choices that rarely receive applause.

The book is a collection of personal essays inspired by everyday life and timeless wisdom. Rather than offering quick fixes or life hacks, it invites readers to slow down, reflect, and recognize that a meaningful life isn’t found, it is built, one intentional choice at a time.

If I had to describe it in one sentence, I’d call it part philosophy, part essentialism, and part cozy café conversation, where Marcus Aurelius meets Gilmore Girls, with a little TLC somewhere in between. That probably captures the spirit of the book better than any genre label ever could.

More than anything, I hope readers close the book believing that a good life isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we build, patiently, intentionally, and often through the ordinary moments we once overlooked.

How did you come up with the title of your book?

The title actually came long before the book did.

Nearly two years ago, I started a blog called Cheers for a Good Life. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about publishing a book. I simply wanted a place to reflect on everyday life and the small choices that quietly shape who we become.

As I kept writing, I realized that those reflections all pointed back to the same idea: a good life doesn’t happen by accident; it is built, one intentional choice at a time.

When the blog gradually evolved into a manuscript, keeping the same title felt natural. Cheers for a Good Life had already become more than the name of a blog. It had become a philosophy of living.

I actually wrote about this in the book itself. I chose “for” rather than “to”very deliberately.

“Cheers to a good life” sounds like a wish for something that lies ahead.

“Cheers for a good life” is different. It’s a celebration of the life we’re already building, imperfectly, quietly, one ordinary Tuesday at a time.

I wanted the title to feel less like advice and more like a toast.

What do you hope readers are able to get from reading your story?

More than anything, I hope readers walk away believing that a good life isn’t something we accidentally stumble upon. It’s something we build. One intentional choice, one ordinary day, and one quiet moment at a time.

I hope the book encourages them to pause long enough to ask themselves questions we rarely make time for: What truly matters to me? Am I living intentionally? What kind of life am I building?

If the book helps someone become a little more present with their family, a little more thoughtful about their choices, or a little more grateful for the ordinary moments they once overlooked, then I’ll consider it a success.

I don’t expect my book to change anyone’s life overnight. But if it changes the way someone sees their life, I think everything else can grow from there.

Do you have any upcoming projects, events, or anything about the book you would like to share?

Absolutely. I’m already working on my next book, although it’s still taking shape quietly behind the scenes.

If Cheers for a Good Life asks what it means to build a good life, my next project explores what it means to keep growing after you’ve already begun. I’m fascinated by the quieter seasons of life. The ones that don’t look dramatic from the outside but often shape us the most.

Beyond writing, I’ll continue sharing reflections through my blog, cheersforagoodlife.com, where many of my ideas begin before they ever become chapters in a book.

More than anything, I hope this is just the beginning of an ongoing conversation with readers. My goal has never been to write just one book. It’s to keep writing books that help people slow down, think more deeply, and build lives that truly feel like their own.

Do you have any advice for writers looking to get published?

Read more than you write.

That may sound like unusual advice coming from an author, but reading changed me long before writing ever did. It sharpened my thinking, expanded my perspective, and gave me something meaningful to contribute.

I also wouldn’t start with the goal of publishing a book. I’d start with the goal of having something worth saying.

Write consistently. Pay attention to ordinary life. Stay curious. Keep asking better questions.

And don’t rush the process.

For me, a book wasn’t where the journey began; it was the natural outcome of hundreds of mornings spent reading, reflecting, and writing. Looking back, I realize I wasn’t building a book. I was building a writer.

I think the book simply arrived when the writer was ready.

Follow Kirana:  Website | Instagram

About the Author

𝐊𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧 is an Indonesian author, blogger, and life coach. She writes thoughtful books that help readers slow down, reflect deeply, and build meaningful lives through intentional choices. Drawing inspiration from timeless wisdom, everyday life, and lived experience, her work explores themes of personal growth, relationships, parenting, purpose, and the quiet practice of living well.

Rather than offering quick fixes, Kirana blends personal stories with reflective insights that feel warm, honest, and deeply human. Her writing is best described as 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘻𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘧é 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.

She is the author of 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 and lives in Jakarta, Indonesia, with her husband and their five children, where many of the ordinary moments that inspire her writing continue to unfold.

Cheers for a Good Life is available at Amazon on Kindle and in Paperback.