Natasha Yim: Hello. My name is Natasha Yim. That's not too difficult to pronounce, but that's not the name on my birth certificate. When my mother was 16 years old, she left her home in Hong Kong and traveled to London for university. When she first arrived, she didn't know anyone, but rented a room from a very nice woman by the name of Vera Taylor who took my mother under her wing and helped her acclimate to this new country.

So, when my mother got married and was expecting me, she wanted to name me after Vera Taylor, so the name on my birth certificate is actually Vera Yim Y Ming. Y Ming being my Chinese name meaning bright and intelligent. But at some point, I don't remember if this was before or after I was born, she read War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and fell in love with the name Natasha.

So, ever since I was really little, my family has always called me Natasha or Tasha for short, but that name did not end up on my birth certificate. I like it a lot better than Vera. Besides, I don't think I look like a Vera, so all my life I've been Natasha to family and friends and that's the name I use on my books and writing.