Zachary Hagen’s Aisha’s Secret is about a girl who lived life on the edge and all of a sudden came across a very different kind of life. But even if circumstances change, it does not mean all of you change overnight. Magic doesn’t fix everything. This is a heady mix of fantasy, romance, palace intrigue, and djinn mythology. A story about the curious space between getting what you want and knowing what to do with it. This combination is what makes the novel so powerful. One wants to imagine escape, but what comes after is much more complex.
The Cost of Getting What You Want
Hagen identifies Aisha by her identity: Oiled Hand. Her cleverness and her instinct for self-preservation don’t seem like handy character traits to make her particularly appealing. And that’s why she has to live with a lot of insecurity. Then a djinn, Qadira, enters her life, offering her three wishes and opening doors that Aisha could never have imagined. Magic has its boundaries. ‘I can’t raise the dead. That’s rewriting history,’ Qadira says. She can’t change a person’s heart or mind forever. These rules mean that magic is not a simple answer to any problem and add emotional depth to the story. Aisha has the power to change her life, but she also has to live with the consequences of her decisions.
What I most loved about Aisha was that her circumstances changed much faster than she did. But she can’t just throw away the instincts that helped her survive, even if she might walk into a world of privilege. Her past still affects her thinking and her perception of other people. There’s always a tension between who she shows the world and who she’s learned to keep in check. Hagen, too, grieves in his own very personal way. Aisha fills her mother’s memory with clothes, perfume, sewing materials, and other small things that connect to her. At one point, she says, ‘My mother was extremely proud of this dress.’ The dress is much more than something she happens to be wearing. It reminds her of who she lost, of the life she abandoned.
Qadira’s one of the most energetic characters in the book. She adds humor and character to the story, especially when things get complicated in Aisha’s life, but she isn’t there to resolve everything for her. There is love between them, but also argument, frustration, and real concern. Qadira tells Aisha that magic entails responsibility. The truth is, the more power Aisha has, the more she has to consider what she does with it. And that’s one of the things that keeps the fantasy grounded in something that feels recognizably human.
And the same is true of the romance. Aisha’s relationship is not just a reward for all she’s been through. Love demands of her what survival never really asked of her: that she be honest and vulnerable. This is especially true because Aisha has been hiding pieces of herself for so long. So the notion of being truly known becomes a big part of the romance. It is not just two people falling in love. It’s about whether they can take each other without the masks. Well put in the promise of Aladdin’s desire ‘to know you and know you fully.’
Fantasy With High Emotional Stakes
The story takes Aisha from a world of survival to a world of privilege and responsibility. The palace setting also allows the story to examine the social and political elements of Aisha’s new reality. Some of the emotional and political developments happen rapidly, and I found myself wishing the story would have lasted a bit longer before moving on from something. But that momentum is part of the reason the novel is so easy to read on.
What Aisha’s Secret ultimately does with its most important questions has little to do with magic. Magic can change your situation, but it can’t take away your grief, or make you feel like you belong, or make the consequences of your choices go away. Hagen combines the pleasures of fairy-tale fantasy and romance with a more serious identity question: What do you have to become to live the life you dreamed about when you finally get it? And that’s what makes the story so emotionally powerful. If you like fantasy with romance, humor, magic, secrets, and a heroine whose new life isn’t quite what she thought it would be, Aisha’s Secret has lots to recommend it.
Storytelling has been an instinct with T K Bush all her life, beginning in childhood and now finding its way into the world of psychological suspense. A registered radiologic technologist specializing in interventional cardiology, she brings an unusual professional perspective to her fiction, drawing on her medical expertise to provide authenticity to hospital settings and protocols. She also reads and reviews thrillers and assists other authors with writing accurate medical scenes. Her debut psychological thriller, Unveiled, marks the opening of a new chapter in her literary journey. In this interview with B Sudharsan, Founding Editor-in-Chief, Literary Harbinger, T K Bush discusses how she began her writing journey, the unexpected turns her characters take, juggling a career in healthcare with fiction writing, and the stories she plans to tell next. The interview has been lightly edited for flow.
T K BUSH | MARGIE DOTSON PHOTOGRAPHY
SPECIAL & EXCLUSIVE
‘Knew From a Young Age Would Become an Author’
B Sudharsan: Glad to make your acquaintance, Ms Bush. When did you first discover your love for storytelling, and what made you realize that you wanted to become an author?
T K Bush: I started writing as soon as I learned to read. I think I was creating characters in my head even before that. The joy I felt from bringing stories to life, from my imagination to the page, is how I knew from a very young age that I would one day become an author.
B Sudharsan: That early connection with storytelling has now led to your debut novel. How did itcome into being, and what can readers expect from it?
T K Bush: My debut novel, Unveiled, releases on October 6. It’s a psychological thriller about a cardiac manager who has amnesia after an accident. As she rebuilds her family and career, she must confront her forgotten past when someone arrives with a deadly secret that could destroy everything.
B Sudharsan: How much of a story and its characters do you usually have mapped out before you begin writing?
T K Bush: I try to have at least a basic sense or outline of everything before I start. I used to start writing and see how things unfolded, but I’ve found I save time by planning as much as possible in advance. Despite all the planning, the characters and plot almost always develop in unexpected ways, and for me, that’s the most exciting part of writing.
B Sudharsan: What kinds of writers and stories do you find yourself drawn to?
T K Bush: I don’t have a particular favorite. I read pretty much anyone who writes psychological thrillers, romantic suspense, or biblical/historical romance.
‘I Write Whenever I Can’
B Sudharsan: With so many responsibilities beyond writing, how do you find the time to create, and does inspiration tend to follow a particular routine for you?
T K Bush: I write whenever I can. I’d like to follow a set schedule, but that rarely works out. I find I’m most inspired when I don’t have much time to write, so I have to make the time.
B Sudharsan: Your professional life, as I am given to understand, connects intriguingly with your fiction. Where are you currently based, and what exactly is your professional background?
T K Bush: I reside in Florida, and I am a registered radiologic technologist who specializes in interventional cardiology.
B Sudharsan: Looking back at that childhood certainty about becoming an author, was writing always something you consciously intended to pursue as a career?
T K Bush: Yes, definitely. I always knew I wanted to be an author.
B Sudharsan: How do you balance your professional responsibilities with writing, and what other interests occupy your time when you step away from your stories?
T K Bush: I do the best I can. Sticking to a set schedule can be difficult, but I find that I am more productive when I have a clear deadline. I enjoy reading, of course, and creating goodie bags for events or parties.
B Sudharsan: With Unveiled about to make its way to readers, where is your writing taking you next? And do you hope to make writing your full-time career?
T K Bush: I am currently working on my next psychological thriller, which involves choices and consequences. I don’t want to give too much away at this time, as it’s still a work in progress. I definitely intend to become a full-time author in the near future.
‘Just Don’t Give Up’
B Sudharsan: Every writer encounters moments when the response to a book may not match the hopes invested in it. What would you say to authors who begin to lose motivation when their work does not perform as they expected?
T K Bush: I would say to remember why you do what you do. The joy and blessing from creating should first be for yourself. The rest will come. Just don’t give up.
B Sudharsan: Your advice to writers places the joy of creation at the heart of the journey. If you could extend that philosophy beyond writing and change one thing about the world, what would it be?
T K Bush: I would change the way people think about forgiveness and unconditional love, especially the importance of extending both to themselves and others.
‘My Days Vary’
B Sudharsan: From cardiovascular technology to writing and family time, your days seem to move between very different worlds. What does a usual day look like for you?
T K Bush: My days vary. I’m either at work as a cardiovascular tech or sitting at home by the pool or in my office writing or spending time with family.
B Sudharsan: Besides English, are there any other languages you know or speak?
T K Bush: Just English.
B Sudharsan: What final message would you like to leave with readers?
T K Bush: Please check out my debut novel, Unveiled, which releases on Oct 6! Thanks!
I would say to remember why you do what you do. The joy and blessing from creating should first be for yourself. The rest will come. Just don’t give up.
Patti Lee is an award-winning novelist who writes about the complexity of daily life. She started writing seriously after the age of 50 and finally published her first novel, Between February and November, in 2022 with RockHill Publishing. Her latest novel, Tanya, We Have a Problem, published this year, adopts a decidedly comic take on the messiness of relationships. Lee, who lives in southern Vermont in the United States, has a lived experience and instinctual approach to storytelling that results in relatable characters and emotionally engaging stories. She runs a small nonprofit, where she can indulge her love of spreadsheets and lists, and keeps her four cats and two dogs supplied with catnip and treats when she’s not writing or spending time with her grandkids. B Sudharsan, Founding Editor-in-Chief, Literary Harbinger, recently interviewed her via email. You can read the full interview, lightly edited for flow, below.
HARBINGER EXCLUSIVE
‘I Write Relatable Women’s Fiction’
B Sudharsan: It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms Lee. Let’s begin with a fairly straightforward question: when did you start writing?
Patti Lee: Though I’ve journaled on and off for years, I didn’t start writing until shortly after I turned 50. While I’d constantly make up stories in my head about people and/or situations, I didn’t start writing them down and really fleshing them out until 2019.
B Sudharsan: Could you tell us about your published works, how they came into being, and what your latest book, Tanya, We Have a Problem, is about?
Patti Lee: I write relatable women’s fiction, mostly focused on everyday situations that could happen to anyone, whether they lean into deep drama or lighter humor. I started writing my debut novel, Between February and November, shortly after I turned 50. I had a few character ideas floating around, and once I actually decided to sit down and write, things just took off. Between February and November is an emotional drama following Layla Ranker, who unexpectedly catches her husband with another woman. As she struggles to figure out what went wrong, old wounds from the past are opened, and she has to figure out how to navigate the fallout. My latest book, Tanya, We Have a Problem, is definitely on the comedic side! It opens right in the middle of the mess, with Tanya waking up in bed only to realize the man sleeping next to her isn’t her husband, Bill. That crazy situation is all thanks to a throwaway comment Bill made earlier about updating his wardrobe, which convinced Tanya he was cheating. Desperate to prove it, she recruits her best friend Bonnie for a series of stakeouts and zany traps that quickly spiral out of control. It’s a funny, heart-filled journey about navigating the messiness of relationships, self-discovery, and finding out what’s really worth saving.
‘I Want My Characters to Come Alive on the Page’
B Sudharsan: Both your novels begin with compelling situations involving relationships. When developing a story from such a premise, how much of the plot and characters do you know beforehand, and how much do you allow to emerge as you write?
Patti Lee: I describe myself as a panster (one who flies by the seat of their pants as a writer) as opposed to a plotter, and the more I’ve written, the more this is reinforced. I may have an idea of a character or how I want a story to end, but the story unfolds throughout the writing process and often changes as the characters develop.
B Sudharsan: You’ve mentioned that you’re a pantser and that you let your stories and characters develop organically as you write. Given how important it is for you to create vivid characters, which authors have influenced or inspired your storytelling approach?
Patti Lee: I admire authors like Janet Evanovich, Jennifer Weiner, Jodi Picoult, and Diana Gabaldon. I recently rediscovered Diana Gabaldon and really appreciate her ability to write scenes in such a way that the reader has a clear vision of the surroundings as well as what’s happening with the characters internally. As a reader, I love to get invested in characters. As a writer, I want my characters to come alive on the page, much like what the authors mentioned above are able to accomplish in their work.
B Sudharsan: Has your writing routine evolved over the years as you’ve gotten more experienced and as life has progressed?
Patti Lee: When I started writing in 2019, I used to write early in the morning and late at night—I was a card-carrying member of the #5AMWritersClub. Since then, my life has become busier, and now I write when I feel inspired or have the capacity while at the same time having dedicated time to write.
‘Becoming an Author Wasn’t Something I Thought About Until I Hit 50’
B Sudharsan: Please tell us a little about where you are based, your educational background, and the learning that prepared you for the craft of writing.
Patti Lee: I currently live in southern Vermont, where I’ve been for almost 40 years after moving here from Connecticut when my kids were very young. As for my education, I finished high school in 1986 and later took some college courses in child development while working in a preschool. But what really prepared me to be a writer was living life, observing people, and telling stories about them to myself. When I decided to get serious about writing, I dove into a lot of self-directed craft research, studying books on writing by Stephen King and Anne Lamott and taking online MasterClasses.
B Sudharsan: Did becoming an author itself feel like a conscious decision, or did it happen more organically?
Patti Lee: I wouldn’t call it a conscious decision or a childhood dream. It wasn’t something I really thought about until I hit 50. I realized I had these characters and stories knocking around in my brain, and I decided it was time to write them down. Once I started, the process took on a momentum of its own, and getting published became the natural next goal.
B Sudharsan: Your writing, I am given to understand, developed alongside a full-time career and family life. How do you balance those responsibilities while continuing to pursue your creative work?
Patti Lee: I manage a statewide nonprofit full time, and it’s pretty demanding at times, so writing has to fit around the rest of my life. Since I don’t have a set writing schedule, sometimes I write a lot and sometimes life gets in the way. I’ve learned to be okay with that because I know I’ll always come back to it. Outside of writing, I like to read, listen to music, and, admittedly, watch way too much reality TV. I’m also a big fan of spending time with my family and our pets. I think having those other interests is important because they give me a break and sometimes a little inspiration too.
‘Don’t Let Your Inner Critic Talk You Out of Writing’
B Sudharsan: What can you tell us about the stories you are currently working on, and how do they differ from your published novels?
Patti Lee: I have a couple of works in progress. One is a novel about four lifelong friends whose relationship gets fractured when an affair comes to light. Friendship turns fragile, and each woman must decide what, and who, is worth forgiving. The other started as a psychological thriller, and the more I wrote, the more I found myself in a dark funk. I’m thinking that genre may not be for me. I do love the main character, Imogene, so I’m waiting until she tells me what she wants to do. I’d like to spend more time writing, but I’ve got to keep the lights on, so until I retire, I will continue to be a part-time author.
B Sudharsan: Having experienced the uncertainty of establishing yourself as a writer, what would you say to authors who lose motivation when their work receives rejection or fails to perform as they had hoped?
Patti Lee: Just write, and don’t let your inner critic talk you out of it. Treat rejection feedback as free coaching, refine your query when it’s not clicking, and keep honing your craft. My own path took roughly 35 queries, a bit of luck, and a whole lot of refusal to quit. When that ‘yes’ finally lands, every bit of persistence pays off.
B Sudharsan: Your fiction deals with human conduct and the choices that people make. What is a bigger change you want to see in the world?
Patti Lee: If I could change one thing, I think it would be for people to be accepting of each other regardless of race, religion, political affiliation, background, income, looks, or gender.
‘Hope My Stories Give Readers a Chance to Laugh’
B Sudharsan: What does a typical day in your life look like, and where does storytelling fit into it?
Patti Lee: Boring, haha! I still get up between 4:30 and 5:30 AM. Because I work full-time, my days are a blend of professional responsibilities and keeping up with home life. Writing happens whenever I can carve out space—usually in those early morning hours when the house is still quiet. Even when I’m not actively typing, I’m usually letting characters and story ideas simmer in the back of my mind while I go about my routine.
B Sudharsan: Do you speak or write in any languages besides English?
Patti Lee: I don’t fluently speak any other languages, though I do recall quite a bit of my middle-school Spanish—props to Ms. Mioti!
B Sudharsan: Before we wrap up, what do you want to say to readers who might be discovering your work for the first time?
PL: If you love relatable women’s fiction filled with humor, heart, and the everyday moments we all navigate, I’d love for you to check out my books! My debut novel, Between February and November, and my newest release, Tanya, We Have a Problem, are both available now through RockHill Publishing and major booksellers online, like Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Most of all, I just hope my stories give readers a chance to laugh, feel understood, and escape into a good book. I love connecting with readers, so please feel free to visit my website at pattileewriter.com or join me on Facebook at facebook.com/PattiLeeAuthorPage. Thank you so much for reading!
Just write, and don’t let your inner critic talk you out of it. Treat rejection feedback as free coaching, refine your query when it’s not clicking, and keep honing your craft. My own path took roughly 35 queries, a bit of luck, and a whole lot of refusal to quit. When that ‘yes’ finally lands, every bit of persistence pays off.
~ PATTI LEE
ENGAGE WITH LH | Click on the cover image of the book you wish to read and buy yourself a copy right offthe bat!
Maria Gallucci is an award-winning real estate broker, a best-selling author, and a champion of inclusive communication and accessible housing with over 30 years of experience. A CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) who learned ASL (American Sign Language) before English, she works with the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and LGBTQ+ communities, as well as with builders, investors, and families throughout the US. She founded Uptown Realty Group, Gallucci Homes, ASL @ Compass, and ASL Realty and is a top producer at Compass. Furthermore, she ranks in the top 1.5% of REALTORS® nationally. A board member for Rocky Mountain Deaf School, DOVE (Deaf Overcoming Violence through Empowerment), and the Colorado Association of the Deaf, her motto, ‘Just Try,’ fuels her mission to ensure that her underrepresented clients are heard and respected. B Sudharsan, Founding Editor-in-Chief of Literary Harbinger, recently interviewed her via email. Below, you can read the full interview with Maria Gallucci, which is edited sparingly for flow.
SPECIAL TO LITERARY HARBINGER
‘Understood Why People Say Everyone Has a Story’
B Sudharsan: It is such a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms Gallucci. To begin with, when did you start writing?
Maria Gallucci: I’ve always loved stories, but I never considered myself a writer. I was the person who loved reading mysteries and suspense novels and admired the people who could write them. It wasn’t until recently that I realized I had a story worth telling. Once I started writing Raised in Silence, I couldn’t stop. I finally understood why people say everyone has a story.
B Sudharsan: Your first published book draws on your own life and experiences. What inspired you to turn those experiences into a book, and what did you hope readers would take away from it?
Maria Gallucci: My first published book, Raised in Silence, is based on my life growing up as a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), where American Sign Language was my first language. While it shares my experiences, it’s really about something much bigger than that. It’s about communication, inclusion, empathy, and belonging. People often think it’s only for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, but I always tell them it’s for everyone. Every one of us has felt misunderstood, left out, or like we didn’t belong at some point in life. Those are the moments that connect us. The book came to life because so many people kept telling me, ‘You have to write these stories down.’ Eventually, I listened.
‘The Book Almost Wrote Itself’
B Sudharsan: Once you decided to tell these stories, how did the writing process unfold for you?
Maria Gallucci: Since Raised in Silence is based on my life, I knew the stories I wanted to tell, but I didn’t always know how they would come together. As I wrote, memories I hadn’t thought about in years would suddenly come back. One story would lead to another, and before I knew it, the book almost wrote itself. Looking back, I think it unfolded exactly the way it was supposed to.
B Sudharsan: That feeling of discovery sounds pretty interesting, especially since you didn’t set out with a defined structure in mind. Are there certain writers whose work has helped to form the kind of writer you are?
Maria Gallucci: I’ve always enjoyed mystery and suspense authors because I love trying to solve the puzzle before the ending. But I’m also drawn to authors who make you feel something. The books I remember most aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest twists. They’re the ones that stay with me long after I’ve finished the last page. That’s the kind of book I hope I’ve written.
B Sudharsan: You’ve just touched on the importance of books that stay with a reader long after the final page. That sounds like an important emotional connection for you. Does that change the way you think about writing? When do you generally write?
Maria Gallucci: I wish I could tell you I had this perfectly organized writing routine, but that’s just not me. I write whenever inspiration hits. Sometimes that’s early in the morning with a cup of coffee, and sometimes it’s late at night when an idea won’t leave me alone. If a story comes to mind, I’ve learned to stop what I’m doing and write it down before it disappears.
B Sudharsan: Your life combines writing with a long and successful career in real estate and advocacy. Where are you currently based, how old are you, how have your experiences shaped you, and what stage of life are you in?
Maria Gallucci: I live in Colorado, where I’ve spent more than three decades building my real estate career while serving clients throughout the state. My education has come from a combination of formal training, professional experience, and life itself. Growing up as a CODA taught me lessons no classroom ever could. As for my age, let’s just say I’ve collected enough life experiences to have plenty of stories to tell.
‘Balance Is Always a Work in Progress’
B Sudharsan: Given everything you’ve achieved in your career, did you always imagine yourself becoming an author?
Maria Gallucci: Not at all. Becoming an author was never part of my plan. I simply wanted to tell a story that might help people see the world a little differently. If the book encourages someone to become more patient, more inclusive, or more willing to connect with people who communicate differently than they do, then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.
B Sudharsan: With real estate, advocacy, speaking, and writing all demanding your time, how do you make room for the things you enjoy outside your professional life?
Maria Gallucci: Balance is always a work in progress. I’m still a full-time REALTOR®, speaker, and advocate, so my days stay busy. Writing has to fit around everything else, but it’s become something I genuinely enjoy instead of another item on my to-do list. When I’m not working, I love spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading, exploring Colorado, and, of course, hanging out with my pug, Ray. He definitely keeps life entertaining.
‘Don’t Let Numbers Decide Whether Your Story Matters’
B Sudharsan: Having discovered the joy of writing, do you have more stories you would like to tell, and could you see yourself becoming a full-time author?
Maria Gallucci: I definitely have more stories I’d like to tell. Right now I’m enjoying speaking, meeting readers, and having conversations inspired by Raised in Silence. I don’t see myself giving up real estate because I truly love what I do, but I absolutely see more books in my future. Writing has become another way for me to help people, and that’s something I want to continue.
B Sudharsan: What would you say to aspiring writers who become discouraged when their work does not receive the response they hoped for?
Maria Gallucci: Don’t let numbers decide whether your story matters. Sales, reviews, and rankings go up and down, but if your words help even one person, you’ve succeeded. Keep writing because you have something to say, not because you’re chasing a bestseller list. Success doesn’t always happen overnight. Sometimes your book finds its readers when they’re ready for it.
‘No Two Days Are Ever the Same’
B Sudharsan: Your work centers so strongly on empathy and inclusion. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
Maria Gallucci: I’d love to see people become more willing to understand before they judge. We spend so much time focusing on what makes us different instead of what we have in common. A little more empathy and a little more curiosity could change so many lives.
B Sudharsan: You lead a remarkably varied professional and creative life. What does a usual day look like for you?
Maria Gallucci: No two days are ever the same, and that’s exactly how I like it. One day I might be showing homes; the next I’m recording a podcast, speaking at an event, writing, or meeting with clients. Somewhere in there you’ll usually find me answering emails, drinking coffee, spending time with Ray, and trying to squeeze in a little reading before the day is over.
‘ASL Is a Huge Part of Who I Am’
B Sudharsan: You grew up with American Sign Language as your first language. What role does ASL continue to play in your life today?
Maria Gallucci: American Sign Language was actually my first language, so it’s a huge part of who I am. I still use ASL every day, both personally and professionally. Being bilingual in ASL and English has allowed me to connect with people in ways I never realized would become such an important part of my life and career.
B Sudharsan: Finally, what is the one message you would most like readers to carry with them after reading Raised in Silence?
Maria Gallucci: I hope readers remember that every person they meet has a story they know nothing about. We all want to feel heard, understood, and like we belong. You don’t have to know sign language to make someone feel included. You don’t have to have all the right words. Sometimes all it takes is a smile, a little patience, and a willingness to try. That’s really the heart of my book and the way I try to live my life.
I’d love to see people become more willing to understand before they judge. We spend so much time focusing on what makes us different instead of what we have in common. A little more empathy and a little more curiosity could change so many lives.
~ MARIA GALLUCCI
ENGAGE WITH LH | Click on the cover image of the book Raised in Silence and buy yourself a copy right offthe bat!
A-M Mawhiney’s Spindrifts is a surprisingly tender science fiction novel imagining a future Earth that has not merely survived catastrophe but is gradually learning how to heal. Half a century later, after the destruction of the past, Mawhiney presents a world shaped by ecological responsibility and an extraordinary belief in what people can achieve together. But this is no faultless utopia. Yet beneath the beauty, questions quietly accumulate, and a current of uncertainty in the novel keeps its optimism from becoming naive. It’s a book about the future, certainly; nevertheless, its most profound concerns feel wrenchingly present: how we co-exist, how we make sense of difference, and whether real progress is possible without compassion.
Evoking Movement And Change
Fania is the fulcrum of this universe, and we see much of it through her eyes. Her curiosity pulls the story along, and it’s never merely intellectual. She has a genuine interest in people From Away, rooted in a sincere desire to know and connect, based on an instinctive belief in equality. ‘I want my communication to be equal,’ she says, a simple statement that reveals something fundamental about both Fania and the society she lives in. The unease she feels about technology quietly reproducing assumptions about whose language matters is what gives this futuristic world a surprisingly familiar human dimension.
Mawhiney’s world-building is strongest when it’s lived rather than explained. Ecological recovery is something we can almost touch, not just observe, as rivers, snow, ice, new plants, and changing seasons are all part of the process. And even that tiny moment when Fania and her great-grandmother, Alicia, hear the fragile crackling of ice becomes almost musical. Spindrifts is also a fitting title, suggesting something that can obscure what lies ahead but also evoking movement and change. This is not only a technological future; it is a living world.
Beneath the Beautiful Surface
But Spindrifts isn’t just praising its own creation. Its quieter mystery slowly draws us under that beautiful surface. Fania’s return to Immersion raises questions about her apprenticeship, Alicia’s work, and the things that remain unexplained. Her strange experiences only deepen the doubt, particularly the recurring landscapes and pink fog in her dreams. Mawhiney doesn’t have to rely on the usual suspense to keep us interested. Sometimes, a hint is enough, and an unanswered question can be more compelling than an immediate revelation. The mysteries contribute to the novel without disrupting its warmth.
Its relationships are equally complex. Fania and Alicia are genuinely warm with each other, but their relationship is not simple, and questions of identity arise naturally. Fania’s sister, Nuna, is tender because it is spoken in the quotidian, not the grandiose. Meanwhile, Kiki, Fania’s former Immersion classmate, gradually reveals humor and the possibility of connection. These relationships add emotional weight to the larger ideas of the novel.
What’s important is how Mawhiney lets those ideas live through her characters. Equality, communication, healing, and responsibility come through the way people relate to one another. The novel constantly demonstrates the interdependence of communities and the natural world, strengthening Fania’s realization that ‘everything is connected.’ Technology can make this future easier, but the real foundation is a changing sense of interdependence.
Mawhiney is also refreshingly candid about progress. Her future society has accomplished marvelous things, but healing is never portrayed as finished. In her opening note, she describes Spindrifts as a utopian vision ‘but one with bumps and twists along the way,’ and that phrase perfectly captures its spirit. Hope here is not the belief that everything is already right; it is the willingness to continue building something better.
An Ingenious Piece of Work
Mawhiney’s prose is at its best when beauty and thought go hand in hand. The cedar and wild ginger, the melting ice, the water in motion, and the new growth pushing through the snow make the future palpable and provide the book with its meditative rhythm. When the novel says ‘there was much more to be done and endless possibilities,’ it feels earned.
Spindrifts knows that healing a landscape is only part of the job. A hopeful future also needs people who acknowledge their place in a larger web of life. With remarkable confidence, Mawhiney balances ecological science fiction, family drama, mystery, and a meditation on human possibility. Its greatest achievement is the tenderness with which it imagines what humanity could be.
I’d give Spindrifts 5/5 because it does something harder than inventing a good future: it makes a better future feel possible. It is a humane novel, intellectually ambitious, ecologically aware, suffused with real affection for its characters and for the living world they seek to restore. Its greatest success is that it has won the right to hope, through the courage to question inherited assumptions. If you want science fiction with a hopeful spirit, Spindrifts is a luminous, deeply satisfying read.
S A Schneider has a wolf, so naturally, he writes middle-grade fantasy. From his Lego and action-figure days, Schneider has been creating worlds and crafting stories within them, a pursuit that continues through his middle-grade fantasy works. But his interest in storytelling extends beyond traditional narratives. Schneider also explores how storytelling works in video games and encourages children to discover how they can create their own stories and fantastical worlds. He hopes to inspire others to join him in this imaginative pursuit. Recently, Schneider was interviewed by B Sudharsan, Founding Editor-in-Chief of Literary Harbinger. Excerpts:
SPECIAL & EXCLUSIVE
From Short Story to Book to Series
B Sudharsan: It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr Schneider. How long have you been writing, and what sparked your interest in it?
S A Schneider: It’s been about ten years, but I first got the thought to write about five years before that. I was a Girl Scout leader and wanted to write books that had female protagonists for my girls to read.
B Sudharsan: You mention you wanted to write books with female protagonists for the girls in your Girl Scout troop. How did that initial idea eventually lead to your published works, particularly the Town Magician and The Oddish Questors series?
S A Schneider: My fantasy series—Town Magician—started as a short story. Near me, at Kent State University, they had an annual Wizarding World festival. I wanted to set up a table but needed something that fit. So I wrote a short story. And, as happens, that short story grew to be a book. And, as happens, that book became a series. My newer series—The Oddish Questors—is based on my kids and stepkids. It’s been the most fun to write since I incorporated a bit of their personalities into it. I also included our wolf, Hunter, as a character. It’s been some fun stories.
‘My Two Favorites are Stephen King and Michael Crichton’
B Sudharsan: How do you approach developing a story once you have its basic premise? Do you map out the plot and characters beforehand, or do they evolve as you write?
S A Schneider: I have things loosely planned and mapped out. Not a detailed outline. Though, as I’ve gained experience, I can flesh out the outline more, and the writing is then even easier. I have a basic idea of the story, and then I use tools like Save the Cat and Hero’s Journey to help me fill in any details of the story that I may have missed.
B Sudharsan: Are there any authors who have significantly influenced your writing?
S A Schneider: My two favorites are Stephen King and Michael Crichton. Both keep me turning pages and wanting to read just a little more. Even books I’ve already read.
B Sudharsan: With your writing competing for time alongside editing, marketing, and events, how do you structure your writing routine, and when do you find yourself most creatively inspired?
S A Schneider: I try to write in the morning before work. But I can sometimes find other times to write. I have to balance it with editing, marketing, joining events, and a myriad of other connected things. Often, I will have a scene in my head while driving or mowing, and I need to write it down as soon as possible.
‘My Kids Call Me Their Intergalactic 12-Year-Old’
B Sudharsan: Great to learn that your writing and storytelling have developed alongside your experiences in other fields. Please tell us a little about where you live, your age, and your educational background.
S A Schneider: I live in Northeast Ohio near Kent State University. I went to school for computers and music, though I’ve let my music slacken recently. Do you want to know my physical age or my mental age? My kids call me their intergalactic 12-year-old.
B Sudharsan:(laughs) Certainly. Looking back at the journey you have described, when did you consciously begin to see yourself as an author?
S A Schneider: I had not given much thought to being an author until Kindle was introduced and I observed the emergence of numerous books. Then when I wanted to write stories for the girls in my Girl Scout troop, it all fell together.
‘I’d Love to Be a Full-Time Author’
B Sudharsan: Since becoming an author involves much more than writing, how do you balance your creative work with your personal responsibilities? What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
S A Schneider: Well, that’s a thoughtful question. It’s difficult occasionally. After work and then doing everything needed, like mowing the lawn and grocery shopping, some days you just want to do anything except sit at the computer and think. But the more fun writing is, the more I want to do it. I enjoy reading, of course. I’m trying to find the time to get back into music. I also enjoy playing games with friends.
B Sudharsan: You mentioned that you are continuing to develop The Oddish Questors and have the third Town Magician story in mind. Please tell us about your current projects and where you hope your writing career will go.
S A Schneider: I’m working on more Oddish Questor stories. I also have the third Town Magician thought out, but not much written. I would like to be a full-time author, but it’s not easy to just do that.
‘Concentrate More on Writing Than on Anything Else’
B Sudharsan: Drawing from your own experience of developing as a writer, what advice would you offer to aspiring authors who become discouraged when their work does not perform as they had hoped?
S A Schneider: Concentrate more on writing than on anything else. Don’t worry about seminars or classes at first. Don’t even worry about publishing. You’d be better off and further ahead if you wrote several books and short stories first and then went back to some learning to improve them. You’ll get so much more out of any learning if you’ve written multiple things. And that will be beneficial when you finally publish, and your published works will perform better for you. So all that time spent waiting is worth it.
B Sudharsan: Your advice to writers emphasizes the importance of writing and storytelling. Does that philosophy also connect with your thoughts on how we encourage children to read and tell stories?
S A Schneider: Oh, don’t think I want to go into this topic here. But there are multiple things. How about in school we let kids read more of what they want, including comics? And let’s not worry about spelling and grammar so early on. Let kids tell stories and learn to have fun telling them and reading whatever they want. I think that when you then introduce spelling, grammar, and reading other things, it will go over much better, and we’ll have people who enjoy stories.
‘Writing Is Some of the Fun Time’
B Sudharsan: You have spoken about writing, family life, work, and the everyday responsibilities that shape your routine. What does a typical day look like for you?
S A Schneider: My typical day includes working; household tasks like making dinner, doing dishes, and taking care of the animals; and some fun time when I can. Writing fits in there to various degrees and is some of the fun time.
B Sudharsan: Do you speak any languages besides English?
S A Schneider: Do some computer programming languages count?
B Sudharsan:(smiles) Finally, beyond what we have discussed, is there anything else about your books or your journey as a writer that you would like to share with our readers?
S A Schneider: All my books are at https://sa-schneider.com. I also have helpful resources for teachers and homeschool parents.
How about in school we let kids read more of what they want, including comics? And let’s not worry about spelling and grammar so early on. Let kids tell stories and learn to have fun telling them and reading whatever they want. I think that when you then introduce spelling, grammar, and reading other things, it will go over much better, and we’ll have people who enjoy stories.
~ S A SCHNEIDER
ENGAGE WITH LH | Click on the cover image of the book you wish to read and buy yourself a copy right offthe bat!
A few months ago, I journeyed from Chennai to Arakkonam, a railroad town some 80 km away. Krishna, a man whom I hold in the highest regard, accompanied me. We met three years ago when I was working for an ed tech company. He was my reporting head. He’s a great speaker with such authority that I was initially intimidated by him; he naturally inspires a bit of awe. But as time passed, I learned he was an incredibly empathetic person who genuinely cared about the well-being of those around him. Talking to him always gave me something to reflect on. I’m still in awe of his amazing ability to juggle time and duties with ease.
On the way to Arakkonam by suburban train, our talk swirled around questions of existence, consciousness, death, and the existence of God. I used to be a forceful believer. However, exposure to epistemology gradually forced me to reconsider many of my assumptions. I don’t say with absolute certainty that God does not exist, but I no longer believe in a creator who is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent in the traditional sense. But that doesn’t mean I’m completely closed off to the idea. I realized, after talking with Krishna for a long time, that I had been carrying so many unexamined assumptions within me for years. It felt more and more important to face these things honestly, rather than to continue living in quiet intellectual inconsistency.
Something to Be Argued Into Existence?
Like so many others who may have searched the internet for deductive arguments that might prove the existence of God, I too had wanted certainty. I told Krishna that I considered myself a seeker, that if I were ever presented with convincing evidence for God, I would willingly change my mind. After all, my philosophy has always been based on the principle that beliefs must be revisable in the face of new evidence.
When I told Krishna that I was a seeker, he replied immediately, ‘You will be a seeker for the rest of your life.’
I didn’t understand the meaning of what he was saying at the time. But in retrospect I can see that I had been operating for a long time under a strong assumption: that God, if He existed, must be demonstrable by argument and evidence. Perhaps even many prominent atheist debaters, like Matt Dillahunty, share this assumption without fully recognizing it themselves.
But what if God is not something that can be proved in the usual sense? What if divinity, if it exists at all, is not something that can be argued into existence but rather something to be experienced? I have heard many people share very personal spiritual experiences, and I have too often dismissed such testimonies too quickly. But I have begun to wonder whether that dismissal itself is ever an example of intellectual unfairness. Is it irrational to take lived experience seriously just because it cannot be universally verified?
Atheists frequently argue that if God exists, then such a being is not worthy of worship because the world is full of suffering. But I find myself wondering if suffering is entirely objective. Is suffering a function of the events themselves, or is it partly a matter of interpretation? Death is, after all, the great leveler. It’s the one thing we can’t escape. And if mortality is the only reality we all share as human beings, perhaps learning to face it meaningfully is more important than winning abstract metaphysical debates.
Krishna pushed the argument further. ‘I’m not concerned about confirmation bias,’ he said. If the belief in a higher power gives me peace, joy, and psychological stability, then why should I be troubled by the possibility that this belief may be false? Why do we reduce everything of value to proof? What if God cannot be limited by the bounds of argument?
The more I thought about what he said, the more it sounded well said. Belief, no question, provides many people strength. It gives confidence and a sense of purpose, even in a universe that may itself have no intrinsic purpose at all. If a common belief can help people to live more meaningfully, why reject it simply because it cannot be conclusively proven?
In my case, more and more I have felt that it is perhaps more important to understand one’s own nature than to settle the question of God’s existence. My cousin, a teacher who believes she has been saved by a higher power in several near-tragic experiences, once told me that obsessively investigating whether God exists is not the main issue. ‘The real question,’ she insisted, ‘is who are you really?’
She gave me an example that I have remembered ever since. When a person dies, we say that they ‘are gone,’ yet the body is still there in front of us. If the individual was simply the body, why would we speak this way? Why do we not go on relating to the body as if the person were still there? The body rots, but we feel something integral has been lost. ‘We can’t just be the body,’ she said. There is something beyond that, and that reality can be grasped only through sadhana.
Photo by Matheus Bertelli
A Worthy Guiding Principle?
I have no way of knowing whether her conclusion is correct, nor do I know how one might definitively investigate such claims. But I am thankful for having lost at least some of my earlier presuppositions. I now try to be more open in answering these questions. I carefully evaluate spiritual testimonies and claims rather than accepting or dismissing them at face value.
More to the point, I have started to wonder whether the pursuit of happiness and inner contentment might actually be a worthy guiding principle. If belief in a higher power does indeed help human beings develop resilience and bliss, then perhaps the value of that belief is not in whether it can be proved, but in what it allows people to become.
But what if God is not something that can be proved in the usual sense? What if divinity, if it exists at all, is not something that can be argued into existence but rather something to be experienced?
Sandy Malone planned weddings in the Caribbean for 11 years with her retired SWAT commander husband before Hurricane Maria wiped out their company overnight. She left her mark on the wedding world with hundreds of expert columns in BRIDES, HuffPost Weddings, WeddingWire, and the ‘Wedding Reality Check with Sandy Malone’ podcast. She is well-known for her book How To Plan Your Own Destination Wedding: Do-It-Yourself Tips From An Experienced Professional, which was published by Skyhorse Publishing in 2016. The Gem of the Golden Isles series, which currently comprises five books, is available through IngramSpark’s Lightning Source or can be purchased directly from the author in most of Georgia and North Florida. Malone is available for book club gatherings, interviews, readings, and book signings. She corresponded with B Sudharsan, Founding Editor-in-Chief of Literary Harbinger, via email recently. Excerpts from the edited interview:
HARBINGER EXCLUSIVE
From School Newspapers to Fiction
B Sudharsan: When did you start writing?
Sandy Malone: I started writing when I was little – I believe my first publication was a neighborhood newsletter written on a manual typewriter in third grade when I was home sick from school. I became editor of my high school newspaper, and then I started an independent newspaper between 15 private schools in DC. Eventually, I went on to become campus editor of The Lantern at THE Ohio State University. I graduated with a degree in journalism.
B Sudharsan: Tell us about your published works. How did they come into being? What is your latest book about?
Sandy Malone: My first published works (after writing for lots of newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal and HuffPost) were non-fiction books that were traditionally published. I wrote a DIY wedding planning book, and then I was asked to ghostwrite several books for other reality TV stars (including a Real Housewife). I started writing fiction two years ago and have published five books in the Gem of the Golden Isles Series:
Escape to Jekyll Island (Book One) In Bloom on Jekyll (Book Two) Treasure on Jekyll (Book Three) In the Shadows on Jekyll (Book Four) Christmas on Jekyll (Book Five)
I’m working on a new series now that has a crossover with the Gem of the Golden Isles series. It’s called Under the Oaks, and it takes place on St Simons Island, next door to Jekyll.
I’ve also written a stand-alone novel that’s completely different from my wedding planner series. It’s about a patriarchal family where money and influence are more important than anything. Thicker Than Blood is told through the eyes of three generations of women in that family, two of whom develop Alzheimer’s. Thicker Than Blood will be released this fall.
‘I Need to Know How a Book Ends Before I Start Writing’
B Sudharsan: Before you begin writing a book, do you already have the plot and characters mapped out in your mind, or does the story unfold as you write?
Sandy Malone: I like to do a rough outline and figure out some of the character names before I start writing. I have learned that I need to know how a book ends before I start writing. The middle part writes itself as I go, and I get creative and add things while I write, but I have to have a solid direction for the ending from the beginning.
B Sudharsan: Do you have any favorite authors? If yes, please tell us who they are and why they inspire you.
Sandy Malone: I love Elin Hilderbrand, Nelson DeMille, Jennifer Weiner, Patricia Cornwell, and Susan Boyer. Elin and Susan write books about characters on islands, and I think I most closely identify with their writing. Patricia Cornwell and Nelson DeMille write the kind of intrigue that sucks me in. Jennifer Weiner makes me laugh. I think I’d like to hang out with her.
‘Someday, I Hope to Be Able to Write All the Time’
B Sudharsan: When do you generally write? Do you follow a fixed schedule, or do you write whenever you feel inspired to put your thoughts into words?
Sandy Malone: I write when I have blocked out time to do it because I like to write for hours at a time with few interruptions. It really only takes me a couple of weeks to write a book; it’s about having time to do it when I have so much work to do to promote the books I’ve already published. The writing is the easy part. A guilty pleasure, so to speak. Someday, I hope to be able to write all the time because I’ve sold enough books to pay somebody else to promote them!
B Sudharsan: Where are you currently residing? Could you also share your educational qualifications and age?
Sandy Malone: I’m 53. My husband and I live on Jekyll Island, Georgia, a tiny island just above the Georgia/Florida line. We moved down here to be closer to my mother after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
I grew up in Potomac, Maryland, and attended private schools, and I graduated from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, DC, the oldest Catholic girls’ school in the United States. I graduated from THE Ohio State University with a BA in Journalism in 1996 and went on to attend The Fund for American Studies’ Institute on Political Journalism at Georgetown University.
B Sudharsan: Was becoming an author a conscious decision?
Sandy Malone: I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but my mother discouraged it. She wanted me to get a job that I ‘could always go back to after having children.’ When I went off to college to study journalism, my mom was positive I was ‘going to end up writing obituaries on the overnight shift somewhere in the Midwest.’ I think she forgave me when I started writing the Politics.Net column at the Wall Street Journal.
B Sudharsan: How do you balance writing with other responsibilities? What are your hobbies and interests apart from writing?
Sandy Malone: When I started writing fiction novels, I committed to it full-time. But I only spend a little bit of life actually writing because most of my time is spent promoting the books I’ve already written. It’s a massive, time-sucking job, and it must be done, or nobody will know about my books.
My husband and I live on a tiny island that’s actually a state park, and I’m very involved in a local charitable organization and several other groups. I run a monthly Jekyll Island Girls Night Out that attracts quite a crowd. I also play tennis and love going to the beach with my husband and friends. We’ve definitely found our forever home here on Jekyll.
I used to do a lot of crafting (love to paint glass) at night, but now that I’m an author, I don’t have as much time for it because we travel constantly. We have six grandchildren who live in the DC area, and I have to do a lot of book events all over the place to promote myself. We try to schedule multiple book signings into each trip and make time to see friends and family in between. I have a grandson getting married in Virginia in 10 days, and we’re doing a book event up there a few days before the wedding. We spend a lot of time road-tripping because there’s too much stuff for book signings to bring on a plane.
‘Takes a Long Time to Get Established in the Publishing World’
B Sudharsan: Tell us a little about your works in progress.
Sandy Malone: I’m working on another destination wedding planner series based on St Simons Island, Georgia, that crosses over with my Jekyll Island book series, Gem of the Golden Isles. The first book will be out soon.
My first stand-alone novel, Thicker Than Blood, will be released this fall. The book is fiction, but I used it to explore my own journey with my mother’s Alzheimer’s disease.
B Sudharsan: What would you like to say to budding authors who lose motivation when a few of their works do not perform well?
It takes a long time to get established in the publishing world. Very few people get big overnight. Patience is a virtue. But at the same time, you should be writing and publishing and taking constructive criticism to make your books better. I finally hired a professional team to help me get my books to the next level, and the first thing they told me to do was change my book covers because they looked like travel guides. Ouch. But they were right. We’re getting ready to relaunch the Gem of the Golden Isles series with new covers. I can’t wait!
B Sudharsan: If there is one thing you would like to change in this world, what would it be?
Sandy Malone: I’d like to see an intense plan by the federal government to figure out how to prevent Alzheimer’s disease because it’s becoming too common.
‘Decided I Was Bilingual When I Started Dreaming in Spanish’
B Sudharsan: What does a usual day in your life look like?
Sandy Malone: I spend my mornings doing housekeeping at my desk—responding to emails, filling book orders that come in through my website, and posting about my books on social media. In the afternoons, I tackle the rest of my to-do lists and wish I were on the beach. On a book signing day, I get up early and triple-check my list of things to bring. I put on war paint, try to arrive early, and pull out my biggest, friendliest personality for the day. I love meeting readers and personalizing books for them, but it’s the most exhausting part of being an author.
B Sudharsan: Besides English, what other languages do you know or speak?
Sandy Malone: I speak Spanish, badly. I planned weddings in Puerto Rico for 11 years, and many of my employees and vendors didn’t speak English, so I perfected my high school Spanish and tried my best. I decided I was bilingual when I started dreaming in Spanish. Unfortunately, I don’t use it much living on the Georgia coast. And Puerto Rican isn’t exactly the Spanish we learned in the classroom.
B Sudharsan: If there is anything else you would like to share with our readers, please feel free to do so.
Sandy Malone: My husband and I starred in our own reality TV show on TLC called ‘Wedding Island.’ My first book series is about a young wedding planner who loses her job on Vieques Island after a hurricane and goes back to Jekyll Island, Georgia, to start over. It’s not autobiographical, but it’s based on my own experiences. Many of my readers have said they enjoyed watching ‘Wedding Island’ after reading Escape to Jekyll Island because they had a better understanding of where Tally was coming from and what it was like to plan weddings on an island, seven miles off the coast of another island, in the Caribbean.
It takes a long time to get established in the publishing world. Very few people get big overnight. Patience is a virtue. But at the same time, you should be writing and publishing and taking constructive criticism to make your books better. I finally hired a professional team to help me get my books to the next level, and the first thing they told me to do was change my book covers because they looked like travel guides.
Thirty-two-year-old Vinisha Panwar is strong and stubbornly earnest. She loves swimming and despises prevarication. As a matter of fact, the Gurugram-based author values honesty so much that when we ask her if there is something that she would want to be changed in the world, she resoundingly says, ‘People becoming more honest with themselves and with others.’ Furthermore, there is a depth in the way she articulates her thoughts, and she loves reading. In an exclusive interaction with Stavyah Vatsarah, Vinisha Panwar talks about her favourite authors, what made her a passionate reader, her hobbies, her schedule, and most importantly, her new e-book A Deceitful Evening. She also gives some pieces of advice to budding authors.
SPECIAL TO LITERARYHARBINGER
Stavyah Vatsarah:A Deceitful Evening seems like a delightful read. How did it come about?
Vinisha Panwar: I have been writing for the past ten years, but I decided to share my work on a public platform only this year. Once school was over and college began, I faced many challenges. To cope with my emotions, I turned to my pen. I simply could not stop writing afterwards! The idea of publishing a short story as an e-book first came to me this March. Finally, in May, I was able to self-publish it through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Since it was a short story, I did not approach any publishers and instead decided to share it directly with readers.
Stavyah Vatsarah: Is this your debut novel?
Vinisha Panwar: I would not call it a novel, but yes, it is my debut e-book. Since it is quite a short read, it does not qualify as a novel. It took me three months to prepare the final edited version of the story and publish it. Editing consumed most of the time, whereas the publishing process took only about a week. I am currently working on my first novel, and it will take a few more months to complete.
Stavyah Vatsarah: What is the book about? What is the storyline?
Vinisha Panwar: Is not the title quite revealing? (laughs)
Stavyah Vatsarah: No doubt the title is electrifying. A freakish romance thriller certainly makes for an engaging read! Be that as it may, might I ask if you consider yourself a pantser or plotter?
Vinisha Panwar: I did have both the plot and the characters in mind before I began writing A Deceitful Evening. I spent a great deal of time thinking about the characters, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they would fit into the story.
Stavyah Vatsarah: You must be an avid reader, considering you have been writing for over a decade. Who are your favourite authors, and how have they inspired you?
Vinisha Panwar: I have many favourite authors—Ayn Rand, Salman Rushdie, Paulo Coelho, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Arundhati Roy, and many others. However, the one who has had the greatest impact on me is Ayn Rand. Her work was pure gold. Her thoughts, beliefs, and words have profoundly influenced countless readers, including me. She was an exceptionally intelligent writer. Reading The Fountainhead was an unforgettable experience. I simply could not put it down. It made me realise how powerfully words can influence the mind. It also transformed me into a passionate reader. I admired the way she made readers live through her words. Ultimately, I understood that words possess the extraordinary ability to shape our thoughts.
Stavyah Vatsarah: I could not agree more. Words are indeed incredibly powerful. Moving on, when do you usually write? Do you follow a schedule, or do you write whenever inspiration strikes?
Vinisha Panwar: I usually write at night when everything is quiet and peaceful. I do not follow a strict schedule because I never want to force myself to write. Instead, I let my heart speak whenever it feels inspired. On days when I do not write, I satisfy my love for words by reading the remarkable works of other authors.
Stavyah Vatsarah: That is understandable. But was becoming an author a conscious decision?
Vinisha Panwar: It was definitely a conscious decision.
Stavyah Vatsarah: I am sure you have many responsibilities besides writing. How do you balance writing with everything else?
Vinisha Panwar: Honestly, there is no balancing act. Whenever I need to write, I simply make time for it. If you are truly passionate about something, you naturally find the time. Passion gives meaning to every moment of your day.
‘If We Never Fail, We Will Never Learn How to Become Better Than We Were Before’
Stavyah Vatsarah: Besides reading and writing, what do you enjoy doing?
Vinisha Panwar: I love swimming, especially in deep water. It clears my mind and refreshes my thoughts. I am truly a water baby.
Stavyah Vatsarah: Tell me a little about your works in progress. Do you plan to become a full-time author?
Vinisha Panwar: Yes, that is my dream. As I mentioned earlier, I am currently working on my first novel. It is a work of new adult fiction centred on the struggles of a teenage girl in her late teens. It explores a wide range of emotions that we often ignore or hesitate to express.
Stavyah Vatsarah: What advice would you give aspiring authors who lose motivation when some of their work does not receive the response they hoped for?
Vinisha Panwar: If we never fail, we will never learn how to become better than we were before. Making mistakes is essential, but learning from them is entirely within our control. So keep writing, and keep writing more. Do not rush the process. The first draft is never the final draft. Seek feedback from fellow readers and writers, and most importantly, act upon that feedback. Connect not only with local writers but also with international authors, readers, and book bloggers. Finally, engage with both your existing followers and potential readers through social media. Discover which platform works best for you and use it effectively.
Stavyah Vatsarah: That was quite comprehensive, I must say. I am curious to know what a typical day in your life looks like.
Vinisha Panwar: Reading, writing, reading, writing… (laughs) No, honestly, that has been my routine throughout the lockdown. Outdoor activities have been cancelled; otherwise, I would have been swimming. I also enjoy watching films in the evenings. I am a huge movie buff.
Stavyah Vatsarah: It was wonderful speaking with you, Vinisha. I wish you every success. Before we conclude, would you like to leave our readers with a final thought?
Vinisha Panwar: I simply wish more people would cultivate the habit of reading. We all enjoy watching films and videos, but reading is often considered old-fashioned or tiresome. I hope people never allow their reading habits to fade away. The more we read, the more worlds we discover, and the more hidden truths we uncover through stories.
Making mistakes is essential, but learning from them is entirely within our control. So keep writing, and keep writing more. Do not rush the process. The first draft is never the final draft. Seek feedback from fellow readers and writers, and most importantly, act upon that feedback.
~ VINISHA PANWAR
PS:This interview was originally published in August 2020 in Literary Express. It is republished here with the author’s permission.
A-M Mawhiney reflects on the lockdown that led her back to writing and the unexpected journey that followed
A-M Mawhiney’s creative writing journey began when she was just eight years old, with gloomy, four-line poems. In an exclusive interaction with Literary Harbinger, the septuagenarian, who has been a full-time writer since 2020, says she continued writing throughout secondary school before stopping when she went to university. ‘A busy life with a full-time career as a social worker and then a university professor disrupted my dreams of becoming a famous novelist. I started writing again during the first international lockdown in March 2020. I was desperate to find hope in a distressing world and, to my surprise, began to write a story about a future, almost Utopian world with dark secrets,’ she tells us.
From Spindrifts to Fugitive Rifts
Having self-published three books with publication services provided by FriesenPress, Mawhiney, who also speaks French fluently, says categorically that she tends to fly by the seat of her pants. ‘I sit at my desk, put my fingers on the keyboard and start writing,’ she says, adding that she may have a vague idea of what will happen with the characters on each writing day, but more often than not they and her imagination take her in a different direction. ‘I often write myself into a corner, and I find that a long walk or organising closets helps me discover what might happen next. Then I write some more,’ she explains.
Talking about her debut novel, Spindrifts, the resident of Sudbury in Ontario, Canada, lets on, ‘It was a Covid novel about a future worldwide Earth Project to save the planet. When I finished writing it, I thought my writing career was over until two pre-teens urged me to write a sequel that included a dragon and a magical wolf. This required a great deal of imagination to shift from the world in Spindrifts to a world of fantasy in Spelldrifts, my second book.’ Spindrifts was a finalist in the eighth annual Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writers’ Prize and shortlisted for the Whistler Independent Book Awards in 2022.
Her third book, Fugitive Rifts, is unrelated to the first two and is real-world fiction about four very different teens who each face challenges that shatter their dreams. ‘The only thought I had before writing Fugitive Rifts was wanting the story to involve four teens. All three books have themes of resilience, helping each other, and coming-of-age character arcs.’
I often write myself into a corner, and I find that a long walk or organising closets helps me discover what might happen next. Then I write some more.
~ A-M MAWHINEY
To Mawhiney, Unpredictability Matters
Having been a voracious reader since the age of seven, with very few days since then when she has been unable to find time to read, the writer does draw inspiration from other authors. She says she has always felt drawn to writers who produce something surprising with an unpredictable ending. ‘A recent book that comes to mind is The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung. But in the last few years I have also become a huge fan of P L Stuart’s The Drowned Kingdom Saga (Books 1–6 so far) and Anne M Smith-Nochasak’s Taggak Journey Trilogy. I also continue to read historical fiction such as Jennifer Chiaverini’s Resistance Women,’ she lets us know.
When asked when she usually writes, Mawhiney—who holds two undergraduate degrees, a master’s degree, and a PhD—said that writing Spindrifts consumed her completely. ‘I wrote throughout the day and often late into the night,’ she tells us. Her subsequent books have been paced differently, nonetheless. ‘With Spelldrifts, I usually wrote in the mornings and early evenings. With Fugitive Rifts, I wrote whenever I had a glimmer of an idea about what would happen next and felt inspired to put it on paper,’ she shares.
As the interview progresses, we ask her whether becoming an author was a conscious decision, and the author responds in a jiffy. ‘I would have to say becoming an author was an act of desperation during lockdown. I was finding lockdown isolation difficult after the first few weeks and knew I had to find something to do to take me away from feelings of hopelessness and distress,’ she shares.
She continues, ‘I grabbed my laptop, thinking I was probably going to journal, and instead the first sentence that emerged became the opening line of Spindrifts: “When she awoke it was with such joy in her heart.” I was gobsmacked and had no idea who “she” was or why she was joyful. After thinking frantically while cleaning closets for a few hours, I continued writing.’
I would have to say becoming an author was an act of desperation during lockdown. I was finding lockdown isolation difficult after the first few weeks and knew I had to find something to do to take me away from feelings of hopelessness and distress.
~ A-M MAWHINEY
Getting Immersed in Writing
Mawhiney, however, kept her writing project a secret from everyone except her partner for several months. ‘When I finally told one of my sisters, she recommended I sign up for the Humber College Summer Writing Workshop, which was offered virtually in 2020. I had to submit a sample of my writing and was surprised to be accepted into the workshop, where I learnt a great deal about being an author,’ she lets on.
The author says that since she began writing after she had been superannuated, there were few other responsibilities. ‘So it was easy to immerse myself in writing,’ she states. ‘With the next two books, I did have to balance other responsibilities but was still able to safeguard several hours for writing almost every day.’
Having a very supportive partner who takes care of day-to-day practicalities such as meal preparation and shopping allows Mawhiney to remain focused on her writing. ‘And when I need a break to think about what comes next, I putter around cleaning, walking, and visiting friends, and somehow my creativity flows when I get back to my computer,’ she says.
Mawhiney, we learn, also belongs to a writing group that was formed during the Humber Workshop in 2020. ‘We meet, with rare exceptions, every two weeks to talk about our writing, give feedback to one of us, and write from prompts. I have a strong network of friends, and our get-togethers keep me socially active. My partner and I spend lots of time with family, and we enjoy watching local basketball games. I recently started playing the piano again and am enjoying another rediscovered creative outlet. And I read every day,’ she explains, adding that she knows she is fortunate to be retired because it gives her much more time to write than many other authors. ‘On the other hand, I am aware that I have fewer years left to continue writing, so I feel compelled to make this a priority while I can.’
Mawhiney’s current work in progress centres on a minor character. ‘She is a character from Fugitive Rifts who has no memories of her past. This new book explores what happened to her in her past,’ she says.
And is there anything she would like to tell budding authors, especially those who give up writing if a few of their works do not do well? ‘I would like to say: never give up on something you love to do. One way to work through disappointment about outcomes—sales, fame, reviews, and so on—is to reframe your thinking or remind yourself why you write,’ Mawhiney says. ‘I write for the joy of writing and am inspired by moments when someone tells me they loved reading one of my books, when I see positive reviews, or when I am asked to speak or write about my books,’ she adds.
Furthermore, what Mawhiney has learnt over the last six years is that, unless you are already famous before you begin writing, success can be a long journey, no matter how you choose to measure it. ‘We all dream of appearing on a list of the top ten books and earning huge revenues from our writing, but very few authors enjoy that level of success. Once I accepted this reality, I looked for small moments that inspired me to keep going,’ she tells us.
I write for the joy of writing and am inspired by moments when someone tells me they loved reading one of my books, when I see positive reviews, or when I am asked to speak or write about my books.
~ A-M MAWHINEY
‘If You Love Writing, Just Keep Writing’
She does not stop there. She says she would advise any budding author to take the long view. ‘If you love writing, just keep writing. If you run into roadblocks, figure out ways of dealing with them. Join a writers’ group, spend time with supportive people, and network with other authors. I have met many supportive authors virtually through social media, and on disappointing days, touching base with them helps motivate me to keep writing,’ she shares.
As the interview draws to a close, we ask her if there is anything at all that she would like to change in the world, and Mawhiney’s response is excogitative, to say the least. ‘I would like people to pull together instead of pulling people apart. More unity, more respect, more hope, and less divisiveness,’ she says as she signs off.
We all dream of appearing on a list of the top ten books and earning huge revenues from our writing, but very few authors enjoy that level of success. Once I accepted this reality, I looked for small moments that inspired me to keep going.
