What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
I honestly never set out to write a book. I started writing because there were things from my childhood and my life that I had carried with me for years, and I needed somewhere to put them. The more I wrote, the more I started to understand how much our childhood experiences stay with us, even when we think we’ve moved past them.
At some point it stopped feeling like I was writing only for myself. I started thinking about how many other people carry things silently because they’re ashamed, because they think no one will understand, or because they’ve spent their whole lives just trying to survive and keep going.
That’s really where the book came from. I wanted to tell my story as truthfully as I could, not because I think my story is more important than anyone else’s, but because maybe someone will recognize a little bit of themselves in it and realize they’re not the only one.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be? (Meant to be fun. Skip if you need to!)
“I Am Women” by Emmy Meli
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I love reading true stories, especially memoirs and books about people’s lives and what they’ve experienced; my taste in books is pretty eclectic. I can go from a memoir or true story to something completely different. I’ve always loved Stephen King, so there’s usually something of his that I haven’t read yet or wouldn’t mind reading again. I tend to choose whatever catches my interest at the time.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
I have to admit, I don’t really have a TBR pile right now. Between work, life, and writing this book, reading for myself has taken a bit of a back seat. Now that the book is finished, I’m hoping to change that and start making more time to read again.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
My favorite scene to write was the first time I realized I had a power within me that I didn’t know was there. I was a kid with a buzz cut, standing on a stage having to sing in front of everyone. I was terrified and felt completely exposed, but something happened when I started singing. For the first time, I felt powerful. Writing that scene brought me right back to that little girl and that moment when she discovered something inside herself that no one else had given her. It was already there. She just hadn’t found it yet.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
That’s for me to know and for you to never find out. Some things about M.V.A. have to remain a mystery.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
Never give up. That’s pretty much how I’ve lived my life. I may get tired, discouraged, or completely fed up, but I get back up and keep going.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
You are not alone. You matter, and so do your lived experiences. Whatever you’ve been through, whatever you’ve carried, your story matters.
