Author Interview Series-Maria Olon Tsaroucha

Maria Olon Tsaroucha

Maria Olon Tsaroucha is a Hellenic-American bestselling author, speaker, educator, theatre director, actor, and consciousness researcher. She is the Founder and CEO of Supraconscious You™, an interdisciplinary framework dedicated to self-awareness, identity, leadership, and human potential.

Recognized as the youngest Hellenic author at the age of thirteen, Maria has spent more than eighteen years researching consciousness, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and human behavior. She is the author of Supraconscious: The Genius Within You, endorsed by Deepak Chopra and featured on the Nasdaq Billboard in Times Square, and co-author with Brian Tracy of The Birth of Business Genius.

A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and a Golden Member of the Actors Society, Maria is the creator of Perceptual Acting and Directing (PAD), a methodology that uses the performing arts as a vehicle for self-discovery and transformation.

Maria is the recipient of the International Book Impact Award, serves on the Advisory Board of WELL (Women's E-Learning in Leadership), and is a member of the Lifeboat Foundation Think Tank and Representative for Hellas on its Humanities Team.

Through her books, speaking engagements, and educational programs, Maria inspires people to move beyond labels and limiting beliefs to discover the wisdom, creativity, and genius that already exist within them.

MARINA RAYDUN: What first inspired you to explore consciousness and human potential as the focus of your life's work?

MARIA OLON TSAROUCHA: My fascination with consciousness began very early in life. As a child, I was constantly asking questions that seemed bigger than my age: Who are we beneath our roles? Why do people repeat the same patterns? What creates suffering, creativity, love, and transformation? Later, through my work in theatre, education, and personal development, I realized that human beings are far more than their conditioning. I became fascinated with the possibility that beneath our fears, labels, and social identities exists a deeper intelligence. That search eventually became a lifelong journey and the foundation of the Supraconscious You framework.

MR: Your book Supraconscious: The Genius Within You explores the idea that every person possesses an innate genius waiting to be awakened. How do you define "genius," and how does your definition differ from the way society typically views it?

MOT: Society often associates genius with exceptional IQ, talent, achievement, or fame. I see it differently. Genius is not something a few people possess—it is something every human being carries within. It is the unique intelligence that emerges when we stop living through fear, conditioning, and inherited beliefs and begin expressing our authentic nature.

In my work, genius is the alignment between who you truly are and how you live your life. It is the ability to access your deepest wisdom, creativity, perception, and purpose. Some people express it through art, others through science, business, parenting, teaching, or service. Genius is not about being better than others; it is about becoming fully yourself.

MR: You wrote your first book at the age of thirteen and were recognized as the youngest Hellenic author at the time. Looking back, what do you remember most vividly about that experience, and how did it shape your future path as a writer?

MOT: What I remember most is not the recognition but the feeling. Writing gave me a way to make sense of the world and to give form to questions and emotions that were difficult to express otherwise. At thirteen, I didn't fully understand what it meant to be an author, but I understood the power of words.

Looking back, that experience taught me that storytelling can build bridges between people. It gave me the confidence to trust my voice and showed me that ideas have the power to travel beyond us. In many ways, every book I have written since then is a continuation of that same conversation.

MR: Your work often bridges disciplines that many people see as separate, including science, spirituality, philosophy, and the performing arts. Why do you believe these fields belong in conversation with one another?

MOT: Because human beings are not divided into compartments. We think, feel, imagine, create, and seek meaning all at the same time. Science helps us understand mechanisms. Philosophy helps us ask better questions. Spirituality explores meaning and connection. The arts allow us to experience truth emotionally and directly.

When these disciplines work together, we gain a more complete understanding of what it means to be human. I believe the future of human development lies not in choosing one perspective over another but in integrating them into a larger conversation.

MR: As both an author and an acting teacher, what have you learned about the connection between storytelling and personal transformation?  

MOT: Every transformation begins with a story.

The stories we tell ourselves determine how we see our past, our present, and our possibilities. Acting is an active verb. It is what we do every day in our lives, consciously and subconsciously—like brushing our teeth. But if we drop our identity and have no identity, the way we do in acting, then we can create our own identity: the one we choose and deserve, the best version of who we are and who we might genuinely be. That is our true story, our own genuine voice.

The moment people become aware of the unconscious story they have been living, they gain the freedom to rewrite it. Storytelling is not simply entertainment; it is one of humanity's most powerful tools for self-discovery and transformation.

MR: You have spoken about concepts such as self-awareness, authenticity, and “knowing thyself.” In today’s fast-paced and highly connected world, why do you think genuine self-knowledge can be so difficult to achieve?

MOT: Because we are constantly invited to look outward rather than inward.

Through my own experience and study, and grounded in the Hellenic principles, I have come to believe that knowing thyself is the very reason we are here. Yet today's world is quietly alienating us from our core. We live amid endless information, opinions, comparisons, and distractions. We know what everyone else is doing, but many people have never learned how to sit quietly with themselves and ask, "Who am I beneath all of this?"

Since the birth of the iPhone, we have become lost inside a small glowing screen. But who is behind the screen—and where, in all of it, are we? We need space and time to observe. We deserve it. 

 As every day is a new day, it is a new beginning for us too. We should question our beliefs daily and ask whether we are truly serving ourselves and the world in the best interest. We are in constant change, and when we cling to patterns that no longer serve us, we will never realize who we are—or how beautifully and genuinely we are made.  

MR: Your work draws upon both ancient Hellenic wisdom and contemporary approaches to human development. Are there particular philosophical ideas from Greek culture that you feel remain especially relevant today?

MOT: Absolutely.  The ancient Hellenic inscription "Know Thyself" remains one of the most important invitations humanity has ever received. Genuine self-knowledge requires courage, because it asks us to examine our assumptions, confront our fears, and move beyond the identities we have inherited from family, culture, and society.  The principle of "Know Thyself" is at the heart of my work. The ancient Hellenes understood that wisdom begins with self-examination. Socrates taught that an unexamined life is not worth living, and I believe that lesson is more relevant than ever.

Another idea I find deeply meaningful is the pursuit of "arete"—living according to one's highest potential and excellence of character. The Hellenes did not view personal development as self-improvement for its own sake. It was a path toward becoming a more conscious, ethical, and contributing member of society.

MR: You present workshops and masterclasses to audiences ranging from students and educators to business leaders and artists. what common challenges do people seem to face regardless of their profession or background?

MOT: Although their circumstances differ, most people struggle with remarkably similar questions.

They want clarity. They want meaning. They want to know they are enough. They want freedom from the fears and patterns that keep repeating in their lives. They want to make decisions with confidence and align their lives with what truly matters.

Subconsciously, all people are seeking the same thing: to be loved. However successfully they perform their behaviors in public, in their private moments they are reaching back toward the basic needs of the child within—to be accepted and to be loved. Even those who seem deeply disconnected from their being, who appear harsh or superior, are no exception. In truth, those people need it more than anyone else, for beneath the armor they too are searching for the truth.

Whether I am speaking to executives, teachers, artists, or students, I often find that beneath the surface, everyone is asking the same fundamental question: "How do I become more fully myself?"

MR: Many of your readers come from different countries, cultures, and languages. Do you believe our cultural backgrounds shape the way we understand consciousness, identity, and personal growth? If so, how?

MOT: Yes, culture influences the stories we inherit about success, identity, family, purpose, and belonging. These stories shape how we see ourselves and the world around us.

At the same time, I have discovered something beautiful through my work with people from many countries: beneath cultural differences, the human experience is remarkably universal. We all seek connection, meaning, love, dignity, and a sense of purpose.

Culture may shape the language through which we understand ourselves, but the deeper journey of self-discovery belongs to all humanity.

MR: For readers who are just discovering your work, what is one simple practice or mindset shift they can begin today to move closer to the "genius within" that you describe in your book?

MOT: Begin asking better questions.

Instead of asking, "What's wrong with me?" ask, "What is trying to emerge through me?" Instead of asking, "How do I fit in?" ask, "Who am I when I stop trying to be someone else?"

Spend ten minutes each day in honest self-reflection. Observe your thoughts without judgment. Notice the patterns that shape your choices. The genius within is not something you must acquire—it is something you uncover.

The moment you begin questioning the labels, assumptions, and stories that define you, you take the first step toward discovering the extraordinary intelligence that has been there all along.

To learn more about Maria Olon Tsaroucha's work, books, workshops, speaking engagements, and the Supraconscious You framework, visit:

https://supraconscious.co/

For bookings:
https://supraconscious.co/bookings/

Books:
https://books.by/mariaolontsaroucha
https://www.amazon.com/author/mariaolon

Readers interested in scheduling a personal "Supraconscious Date" with Maria may book a conversation at:
https://calendly.com/supraconscious_2023/30min

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/supraconscious-by-maria-olon/

My First Six Months of 2026 in Books

I may be a little behind on my reading challenge for the year, but if there's one thing I can say about the books I've finished so far, it's that they've been worth the time. Quality over quantity, right?

My reading this year has taken me through thrillers, horror, historical fiction, and literary family sagas, and while I still have some catching up to do, these are the books that have stood out during the first half of 2026.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden — ★★★★★

I'd love to say I saw all the twists coming, but I didn't.

The Housemaid is one of those rare thrillers that manages to keep pulling the rug out from under the reader without feeling gimmicky. Every time I thought I had things figured out, the story took another turn. It's fast-paced, addictive, and exactly what I want from a psychological thriller.

Great fun, and great at what it sets out to do.

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix — ★★★★☆

I don't read a lot of horror, which makes it even more notable when one sticks with me.

The premise alone is fantastic: a haunted IKEA-like furniture store. But beneath the scares and dark humor, there's a surprisingly effective allegory about work, capitalism, and the things people endure in difficult jobs. Hendrix takes what could have been a one-joke concept and turns it into something much smarter and more unsettling.

Your Presence Is Mandatory — ★★★★★

This was an incredible read.

Admittedly, it falls squarely into one of my favorite niche genres, so it already had an advantage with me. But what impressed me most wasn't the research—although that's clearly extensive—it was the writing itself. Historical fiction lives or dies by its ability to make readers care about people from another time and place, and this book accomplishes that beautifully.

It's the kind of novel that reminds me that great historical fiction isn't just about facts. It's about bringing history to life.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray — ★★★★½

This book and I spent a long time together.

I started The Bee Sting in December and didn't finish it until June—not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because it's huge. At that length, it's difficult for any novel to maintain momentum from beginning to end.

That said, the payoff is substantial. Murray creates a compelling family saga filled with rich characterization, emotional complexity, and layers of symbolism and allegory. The characters stayed with me long after I finished the final page.

The half-star deduction is purely a matter of length. Otherwise, it's an impressive achievement and one of the most ambitious books I've read in recent years.

Looking Ahead

So yes, I'm behind on my reading challenge. But honestly? These books were the real deal, and I'd rather spend extra time with memorable reads than race through a larger number of forgettable ones.

I'm hoping to catch up in the second half of the year, and my TBR pile certainly isn't getting any smaller.

What have you been reading lately? I'd love to hear about the books you've loved so far in 2026.

Author Interview Series-Michael Rizzo

Michael Rizzo 

Michael Rizzo is an award-winning fantasy fiction writer, who works in finance during the day and often spends evenings writing and creating his fantasy world. He published his first book, Tales of Asterra, in early 2023. This fantasy fiction anthology weaves and combines genres of fantasy to establish and detail the adventurous stories of Asterra's lore. Following its success, Michael continues to build upon the established lore of this magical world in his spare time. To Sow a Fallow, the second adventure set in Asterra, was published in November, 2024 and follows the journey of a young boy with a strong, adventurous spirit who seeks to sow his own grand tale in the fields of his youth. Without knights or mages to help them, John and his friends who make up the Lucky Few Adventurers' Guild must track down the evil beings responsible for the dying fields and lands in their realm of Aurora.

To accompany the adventures through Asterra, Michael also draws maps, detailing many of the locations and realms of his fantasy world. When Michael is not writing, he enjoys playing guitar in his band and relaxing with his family, friends, and dogs. He is currently working on his third book set in the world of Asterra.

Marina Raydun: You spend your days working in finance and your evenings exploring Asterra. What’s the biggest difference between those two worlds?

Michael Rizzo: For me the biggest difference between finance and the world of Asterra has to be the magic and serendipity! The world of finance and business can feel very mechanistic at times: things do change every day, but the processes often stay the same and rarely change much if at all. In Asterra everything is filled with potential and free-flowing energy, especially the unique magic system, which I began to outline in my first book Tales of Asterra. Most importantly, though, you never know where an adventure or journey might take you when exploring the many realms of Asterra. With so many different denizens, the possibilities are endless.

MR: If you could spend one week living anywhere in Asterra, where would you go—and what would probably get you into trouble there?

Michael Rizzo: I probably would pick Dæġes Ēage in the agrarian realm of Aurora. It is a simple town set among the bountiful rolling hills of northwestern Aurora, and it sets the stage for the start of my second book To Sow a Fallow. I think the only thing that might get me into trouble there would be trying to negotiate prices with the local blacksmith! A second pick would be the seaside realm of Del’ San Cove, but the northern part that has less pirates! There is just something magical about being near the ocean, but the pirates can definitely cause some issues to arise!

MR: Which character from your books would make the best travel companion, and which would make you immediately regret inviting them?

Michael Rizzo: Penniforth ‘Penny’ Rodgers definitely! He is the tale collector and tour guide that narrates the tales in Tales of Asterra. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to traveling the roads of Asterra, and he’ll never run out of good tales to accompany your journeys. For the companion I would regret inviting, it would probably have to be Sindil Syillis from the story Four for Pillacella in Tales of Asterra. Sindil is not only a poor planner, but he is a bit too self-absorbed to notice his surroundings sometimes, which can lead to dangerous encounters.

MR: You draw inspiration from fantasy, mythology, history, and video games. Which of those influences sneaks into your writing the most without readers realizing it?

Michael Rizzo: I would definitely have to say fantasy novels & series such as Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia were huge inspirations for me. The world building that Tolkien and Lewis did for their books inspired me to build my own world. Fantasy in general is very important to me, so I would have to put that at #1. Mythology, history, and video games, are also influential to me, and readers can find some of these influences in the names of locations, bits of lore, and various organizations throughout Asterra. One example is the military structure of the Templar in Asterra, which is loosely based off of the Roman legion after the Marian reforms.

MR: If To Sow a Fallow had an official soundtrack, what are three songs that absolutely belong on it?

Michael Rizzo: This is a great question! Music is very important to me. I play guitar and mandolin in my spare time, and I love classic rock and a lot of other genres of music. When I write, I enjoy listening to a lot of instrumental music, especially from movies and video games. My top three would be Howard Shore’s Breaking of the Fellowship from Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring, Jeremy Soule’s Secunda from The Elder Scrolls Skyrim, and Jason Hayes’s Westfall Theme music from World of Warcraft.

MR: What’s a piece of world-building lore about Asterra that you know but haven’t yet revealed in your books?

Michael Rizzo: There are two main eras in Asterra: The Lost Years, which was a time before written records exist, and After the Lost Years, which marks the period when written records can be traced back. None of the inhabitants of Asterra truly know what happened during the Lost Years; however, I have fleshed out the most popular theory as to what happened that caused the downfall of civilization and records to be lost. This also includes the creation story behind the world. My plan is to slowly reveal more and more of the history of the mysterious period of the Lost Years that predates the current era of Asterra through the adventures and discoveries of my characters.

MR: You enjoy traveling throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. Has any real-world destination unexpectedly inspired part of Asterra?

Michael Rizzo: While I absolutely love traveling, my family’s house down the Jersey shore and my summers down the shore inspired the seaside realm of Del’ San Cove. Cedar-shackled houses, cool ocean breezes, rolling sand dunes, ah, I love it all! There are definitely other locations, but that is one of the most prominent for creating a location in Asterra!

MR: If Hollywood came calling tomorrow, who would you cast as John Hortēnsius?

Michael Rizzo: He might be a few years older than John in To Sow a Fallow, but I think Owen Cooper is a great actor and would do a phenomenal job. I saw him play the young Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights and also play the starring role in Adolescents.

MR: What is one fantasy trope you’ll never get tired of reading—and one you’re always looking for a fresh twist on?

Michael Rizzo: The one trope I enjoy is when there is always treasure to be found at the end of a dungeon. In To Sow a Fallow John and his friends in the Lucky Few Adventurers’ Guild base a lot of their conceptions about quests on this trope! The one trope I think needs a fresh twist is goblins and orcs always being labeled as the bad guys. I want more stories where there is an orc banker, a goblin doctor, etc.

MR: When readers finish one of your books, what do you hope lingers with them the

longest: a character, a place, a theme, or simply the sense of adventure?

Michael Rizzo: This is a tough one to decide, but I think I would have to go with a sense of adventure! I want my stories to inspire my readers to create and share their own stories. As Penny Rodgers in Tales of Asterra described, “There is a tale out there for everyone: no story is insignificant and no step too small.”

To keep in touch with Michael Rizzo, please visit the following:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/tales_of_asterra?utm_source=qr&igshid=ZDc4ODBmNjlmNQ%3D%3D

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086292291315&mibextid=b06tZ0

Website: https://www.talesofasterra.com/

Author Interview Series-Kathy Biehl

Kathy Biehl

Since childhood, Kathy Biehl has scribbled down observations of human behavior and attempted to make sense of it. She gave up writing fiction long ago. A decades-long contributor to mainstream periodicals, Kathy gained national underground renown in the 1990s as the publisher, Editrix, and main voice of the social commentary zine Ladies’ Fetish & Taboo Society Compendium of Urban Anthropology.

She has co-authored or contributed to guides on legal Internet research, dining, and personal empowerment. Her anthology Eat, Drink & Be Wary: Cautionary Tales was shortlisted for the 2022 Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize. Her writing has also won awards from the Association of Food Journalists, Houston Press Club, and Texas Bar Journal.

Marina Raydun: Confessions of a Third-Rate Goddess takes place in a world that feels very different from the polished image of adulthood we saw in 1990s pop culture. What made you want to revisit and document the version that was happening off-screen?

Kathy Biehl: I wrote most of this anthology in the 1990s while events were playing out. This is in keeping with my life long pattern of capturing real life moments, the stranger the better. I decided to revisit the 90s after assembling my first anthology, Eat, Drink & Be Wary. That project came about during COVID, which jettisoned previous norms for socializing and sharing meals. As I looked over my food writing, I realized it captured a world far different from what we were experiencing. That realization carried over into Confessions.

MR: Your essays feature an incredible cast of artists, performers, metaphysicians, churchgoers, and assorted eccentrics. Did you realize at the time how unusual your social circle was, or did that only become apparent in hindsight?

KB: Oh, I was acutely aware. The title is irresistible.

MR: What exactly qualifies someone to become a "Third-Rate Goddess"?

KB: It refers to goddess in the flesh, and the qualification comes from someone granting the status to you. A minister bestowed the title on me during a party (which I detail in the book). When I balked at the lower tier, he explained that a first-rate goddess would be Hera. A second-rate would be on the order of Persephone. Third-rate brings it to human scale. ( put it on a business card alongside other things people had actually called me, including Sheherazade of Weird • Pseudo Food Xpert • Pretentious Socialite)

MR: You've spent much of your life observing human behavior. What's the strangest thing you've learned about people that still holds true today?

KB: People do things and make choices against their own interests, no matter how much evidence they get against doing that. Many memoirists struggle with deciding what to leave out.

MR: Was there a story that was simply too bizarre for readers to believe?

KB: No; after all, one of the tag lines for my zine is "Nobody could make this stuff up." I did leave out one tale that was messier than I wanted to deal with at the time, about a nightclub visit that unrolled into coincidences that stretched back decades and across multiple state lines (I diagrammed them!), and that caused my companion to phone screaming afterwards when she realized the improbability of the worlds that had collided. Maybe in the next anthology...

MR: Looking back on the era covered in the book, what do you miss most—and what are you very happy to leave in the past?

KB: I miss the frenetic, chaotic and often cross-pollinating creativity. I do not miss the sexual ambivalence and the AIDS epidemic.

MR: If one chapter were adapted into a movie or television episode tomorrow, which would you choose and who would you cast as yourself?

KB: The Straits of Ambivalence: a cautionary tale about fan mail, with Rachel Bloom in the role of "should have known better" me.

MR: Is humor something you consciously bring to the page, or is that simply how you process life?

KB: It is both. I have actually burst out laughing during some of my most emotionally difficult motions. (Joni Mitchell got it right: "Laughing and crying, it's all the same release.")

MR: Your essays capture a moment when people met through communities, hobbies, performances, churches, and sheer coincidence. Do you think we've lost something in the age of apps and algorithms?

KB: Absolutely. I am witnessing a rebuilding of those kind of networks, though. The most dramatic example is a sporadic witch's night market in New Jersey that exploded on impact into a safe haven / playground for all manner of societal fringe dwellers. I have seen a line of cars stretching back a mile from the entrance gate as late as one hour before closing. My standing description is that it is the equivalent of ice cream dropped on a kitchen floor -- drawing ants that keep coming and coming and coming. It's clearly filling a not just a need but a hunger for community and socializing and being out in public in wildly self expressive garb, without fear of anyone judging or stopping or harming. (The witches that oversee this much have set up powerful wards; I've never seen trouble.) I expect more and more of these specialized communities to flourish.

MR: After all the adventures, mishaps, questionable decisions, and accidental goddesshood, what do you hope readers ultimately take away from your journey?

KB: There is no such thing as coincidence. Pay attention to details. They contain dots that often form patterns beyond anything your conscious mind could dream up. Also, as Mary Engelbreit put it years back: Life's too mysterious; don't take it serious.

To learn more about Kathy Biehl, check out the following:
Publisher website: 9thhouse.biz
YouTube: Words With Writers playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0BkpIsGof3TW3rWF4cg7bk6OmC_02fR
Readings from Eat, Drink & Be Wary:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0BkpIsGof3RP305VXP0rYS_ChY8DaJ9
IG: @kabiehl
Medium: https://medium.com/@kathybiehl

Author Interview Series-J.M. Shaw

J.M. Shaw

J. M. Shaw is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction who lives in Alberta with her husband and two young children. She’s been writing since childhood, building worlds from raw imagination and quiet observation, but it took years before she found the courage to share them. For Shaw, storytelling has always been more than a passion. It’s a compass. A sanctuary. A way to make sense of the chaos.

In 2019, Shaw was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, a turning point that brought clarity to a lifetime of feeling “too much” or “too different.” Her intense focus, emotional depth, and ability to live inside fictional worlds became not flaws but the superpowers of a neurodivergent mind. These qualities shape her stories, infusing them with realism, heart, and meaning, and giving her the courage to finally share her creative works. Her worlds may be fantastical, but her characters—flawed, searching, and deeply human—resonate on a personal level.

When she’s not writing, Shaw enjoys connecting with nature, curling up with a good book, and dreaming up new worlds. She also finds joy in encouraging young writers to pursue their own passions.

Marina Raydun: For readers discovering the series for the first time, how would you describe The Ascension in a quick elevator pitch?
J.M. Shaw: I would describe The Ascension as a dark fantasy adventure with wholesome notes. The series is written for a young adult and up audience, so readers will find a few expletives here and there, lots of action, epic stakes, and hints of romance—with minimal physical intimacy.

MR: This edition relaunches the book with new content and a new cover. What can returning readers expect that might surprise them?
JMS: I’ve re-edited my novel, correcting typos and grammatical errors that escaped previous rounds of scrutiny. I’ve clarified previously ambiguous points, expanded on the realm’s history, and added dialogue and character descriptions to give readers a clearer picture of the characters' appearances and personalities. I’ve also inserted a few new chapters, giving voice to key characters we follow in later books who were denied their moment in the previous edition.

MR: Callum Walker is a reluctant hero who never asked for power or prophecy. What did you enjoy most about writing a character who is thrown into destiny rather than chasing it?
JMS: I enjoyed stepping into this character’s mind and witnessing the fantastical world I’ve created through his eyes. Since I, too, feel very out of my element and confounded by everyday life, I found it easy to empathize with my protagonist as well as my other characters. This empathy allowed me to feel more deeply what I imagined Callum Walker experienced and how he would respond. Because I connected so deeply with my characters—emotionally, mentally, and cognitively—it was easy to write his authentic reactions to the many outlandish encounters throughout my story, as if I were riding shotgun on his journey.

MR: Your world includes sorcerers, necromancers, ancient factions, and a hidden magical conflict. Which part of the worldbuilding was the most fun for you to create?
JMS: I love envisioning the many places and beings throughout my magical realm. It’s easy to imagine a conventional mall or office building, but how many people get to explore a fairy village, an ominous cavern, or an elven castle? This visualization allowed me to flex my creative muscles because there were no rules or limitations to constrain my muse.

MR: If The Ascension were adapted for film or television, who would you love to see cast as Callum—or any of the major characters?
JMS: I’ve always envisioned my protagonist resembling a young Ewan McGregor. I think Ginnifer Goodwin would be perfect for my fairy, Frey, and I can imagine Zachary Quinto as my elven commander, Joric Agis. Of course, my readers might picture someone else for each of these roles. That’s the beauty of fictional writing: the words leave enough room for our minds to paint the final strokes, thus making authorship a shared endeavour.

MR: Fantasy often explores the burden of power. What kinds of moral or emotional questions were you interested in exploring through Callum’s journey?
JMS: I’ve heard it said that power corrupts, and I was keen to explore this widely held belief from a different angle. Rather than assuming someone is unscrupulous simply because they have power or abilities that the rest of us don’t, I question whether it is these endowments that degrade one’s integrity, or something else entirely. Instead of presuming that power alone is the corrupting factor, I suggested that our choices have a greater influence on our moral compass than power itself. I demonstrated this in my novel by granting my protagonist the power of magic—a mighty force that elevated him among his fellow humans—and widespread renown among those beings in my magical realm. Yet despite his gifts and fame, Callum Walker remained humble, thereby supporting my argument.

MR: You’ve spoken openly about your autism and ADHD diagnosis. In what ways, if any, do you think ADHD influences your creative process or the way you build fictional worlds?
JMS: My experiences have taught me that there is a common misconception about autism, ADHD, and creativity. I feel this stems from the prevailing belief that those on the spectrum are far too linear to think imaginatively, when in fact, the opposite is true. Because neurodivergent minds do not subscribe to conventional beliefs or societal norms, they are free to explore concepts that would otherwise be overlooked. When I was younger, I struggled to understand how people navigated the confounding domain of society. In an effort to understand the world and my place within it, I made a practice of observing, building a schematic—a living plot, if you will—to explain the how and why of life. Whenever logic eluded me, I’d invent an explanation, however outlandish, to give my observations rationale. Little did I know that my quest for knowledge was training me to become a future storyteller.

MR: You’ve been building stories and worlds since childhood. Do you remember one of the earliest fantasy ideas or characters that sparked your love of storytelling?
JMS: The first chapter book I read was The Littles by John Peterson. It was a story about a family of mouse-sized people navigating our very oversized world. Their perspective on everyday items that we take for granted was intriguing, and their unique struggles captured my interest. The story’s paradigm stirred my imagination, inspiring me to take that first step into out-of-the-box thinking. Before then, I’d seen the world differently—a beautiful creation, vivid and ever-changing—but I was encouraged by the adults in my life to curb my imagination and think logically, or what they believed was logical. After reading The Littles, I realized that I wasn’t the only one who thought differently, and I gave myself permission to venture beyond convention because, if it was acceptable for one grownup, then it was acceptable for me too. That mindset endured into adulthood because I learned to keep my musings to myself, until that fateful day I sent my manuscript for The Ascension to an editor.

MR: You also enjoy encouraging young writers. What advice would you give someone who has been quietly writing or worldbuilding but is hesitant to share their work?
JMS: I kept my work hidden for years, reluctant to share my stories for fear of what the world would think of me. It wasn’t until I finally took that step that I discovered my work had merit. Those first steps were terrifying, devoid of confidence, but I grew with each hard step, building my resolve and finding my voice along the way. As I look back on my journey, I regret only one thing: I wish I’d taken that leap years sooner. What I’m trying to say is, you’ll never know how far you can go or who you’ll reach unless you dare to try.

MR: Without giving away spoilers, what can readers look forward to next in Callum’s story and the larger magical conflict?
JMS: As we continue Callum’s journey, the first few books see him shift from a reactive to a more proactive role. My protagonist is becoming more comfortable with who and what he is, and rather than waiting for events to unfold, we will see him taking the lead in the ongoing battle between good and evil.

For more information: www.jmshawauthor.com

Author Interview Series-Lynda Williams

Lynda Williams

Lynda Williams is a short fiction writer based in Calgary/Treaty 7 Territory. Her work engages with themes of class, feminism, and mental illness. She describes her flavour as If-Raymond-Carver-Wrote-Feisty-Women. Lynda’s stories have appeared in Grain, the Humber Literary Review, oranges journal, HLR Spotlight, and on Room’s website. She has been a winner of the Edmonton Voices competition, the Reedsy Prompts Challenge, and has received honorable mentions in the Humber Literary Review’s and Room’s fiction contests. Her debut collection of stories, The Beauty and the Hell of It is forthcoming from Guernica in September.

Marina Raydun: The title The Beauty and the Hell of It suggests that life’s most meaningful moments often contain both grace and difficulty. What drew you to exploring that tension in your stories?
LW: That exploration happened quite unwittingly, and I didn’t arrive at the title for the book until after I had signed the contract with my publisher. It’s the title of the final story in the collection, which is an outlier in many ways—it’s narrated in third person, from the point of view of a man, and linked to another story in the collection. The tone of the piece is also more vulnerable and earnest than many of the others. I didn’t recognize it as my title story because I thought those things meant it wasn’t representative of the collection—I even considered leaving it out so Liam wouldn’t undermine the voices of the women—and yet the sentiment those words capture is in every story. I can’t emphasize enough that I never thought about the tension between grace and difficulty and the way they are coupled until this character had his brilliant insight about marriage (essentially that you have to keep choosing your partner over and over, which is the beauty and the hell of it). The deciding factor in making the story’s title the title of the book was a Google search. You don’t come up with a bunch of other books called The Beauty and the Hell of It.

MR: Many of the characters in this collection quietly resist expectations placed upon them. What interests you about these subtler forms of resistance?
LW: When people ask what the book is about, I tell them it’s my answer to the loveliness imperative and by that I mean the pressure we place on women to make themselves appealing to men in everything they do—be polite, don’t offend, mind your thigh gap, make room on the sidewalk, maintain an oddly hairless body etc. It’s exhausting, but it’s also socially policed (often by other women), so if you say to hell with that, you’ll be punished. Typically with names: bitch, slut, crazy. These words are part of how we control women. You don’t behave in a certain way and you get a reputation. I’m very interested in women who are compelled to resist and find themselves wrestling with the cost of that reputation. Not everyone can afford to alienate their friends and family, but there also comes a moment when you begin to wonder, can I afford not to? Sometimes subtle resistance is the most we can manage. We resist in the ways we can at a pace we can sustain. That type of resistance can be tougher to recognize, and that’s why it fascinates me.

MR: Your stories seem to focus on transitional moments in ordinary lives. What draws you to those points where something small shifts but the emotional stakes feel profound?
LW: These are the moments that haunt me in the stories I read. Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” and Pam Houston’s “How to Talk to a Hunter” evoked that sense of a small shift occurring with high emotional stakes, and that was the type of story I wanted to emulate when I started writing. I like it when nothing changes, but nothing will ever be the same. It strikes me as very lifelike. Your life can change on a dime, and it will, and nobody will notice. I suppose I’m tethered to realism, although I do believe life is fundamentally absurd. The idea of placing one of life’s grand paradoxes in a story thrills me because someone can read it and see themselves in that moment.

MR: Themes of class, feminism, and mental illness appear throughout your work. How do these themes shape the characters and situations you choose to explore?
LW: This is absolutely a case of the writer creating characters in her own image. I consider class, feminism, and mental illness to be the trifecta of influences that sculpted my voice. I grew up on a farm, learned about double standards from a very young age, and received my first psychiatric diagnosis at the age of 15. Each of these things concerns questions and struggles with power—money, sex, health and disability—that’s the stuff I came up against before I could rightly call myself an adult. I figured for the amount of trouble those things gave me, I could get some mileage out of them in stories. I think we’re always learning and unlearning our relationship to power, and usually my characters are discovering that they have both more and less agency than they imagined.

MR: You’ve described your style as “If Raymond Carver wrote feisty women.” What aspects of Carver’s influence resonate with you, and where do you see your work diverging from that tradition?
LW: I fell in love with Carver’s biography before I even read his stories. I was studying English Lit and absolutely starving to read working class writers and behold, there he was in my Norton Anthology of American Literature. I was so excited to discover a writer who overcame the odds to succeed and didn’t write Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsbyesque stories. I wanted to read about the farmers, miners, and mechanics, and here was my former sawmill worker doing exactly that. I recall a quotation of his to the effect of “these are my people, I could never write down to them.” His work felt both literary and accessible to me, and that’s what I decided to reach for. I share his respect for minimalism, but a Carver story is not a Lynda story. Carver’s pacing is slower and more assured. His stories are longer. I’ve heard I might be funnier than he was, but to be fair, he didn’t set the bar very high in that department. I don’t recall reading his work and clutching my sides laughing. He delivered a sobering amount of humanity.

MR: For readers approaching the collection for the first time, what books or authors might you compare The Beauty and the Hell of It to?
LW: Chelsea Wakelyn’s What Remains of Elsie Jane is a delightful novel about grief and the slightly unhinged things it can make us do. I felt seen reading that book. It was recommended to me by a local bookseller after I gave a reading from my manuscript at an open mic night, and the connection was totally on point. Pam Houston’s Cowboys Are My Weakness features a cast of fierce women who are also bitingly funny, although fundamentally more outdoorsy than my characters.

MR: Short stories often capture a single emotional or psychological moment with remarkable focus. What do you find most compelling—or most challenging—about writing in this form?
LW: Poet and essayist Richard Harrison told me that characters in novels have to change, but in stories they are merely revealed. I didn’t know that when I was writing the collection. I was just interested in the moment when things change, which is altogether different from a character changing. I would say knowing this information has made it more challenging to write stories. Perhaps it’s why I’m working on a novel (based on a story no less). I’m drawn to stories most because the compression they demand is such a refreshing challenge. I don’t have to unpack things. I need to make subtext do the heavy lifting, so I’m always thinking about how to say more with less. Cutting is my favourite part of revision.

MR: Some of the stories appeared in literary journals before becoming part of this collection. When you brought them together, did any unexpected connections or themes emerge?
LW: The significance of sibling relationships in these stories caught me off guard. I didn’t plan that and I believe it comes from being geographically separated from my own siblings. They have a piece of you from a time nobody else knows, and that’s a very special thing. You don’t necessarily appreciate it when you’re around each other all the time. Thematically, I didn’t mean for the book to be so saturated in death either, but it’s also one of life’s few guarantees. I wanted my characters to confront different types of loss, so a measure of death felt inescapable.

MR: Your work has received recognition through contests and literary awards. How have those experiences shaped your confidence or approach as a writer?
LW: There’s an obscene amount of rejection that comes with writing for publication. The validation that comes from placing in contests and receiving awards is the shot in the arm that keeps you going. It’s a reminder that it’s not all for nothing. Your work resonated with someone in an important way. I need those reminders when I’m discouraged, which happens regularly. If I’m happy about an acceptance or a good review, my husband will say, I need you to make this feeling last for three months. The flip side is the pressure to keep producing “good stuff.” It’s easy to forget that it all starts with a craptastic first draft once you imagine your work has managed to achieve a certain standard. It’s easy to get in your head and question if your work is good enough to get more of that sweet award nicotine. It’s a mixed bag, but the antidote is always more writing. As long as you keep pounding away at the keyboard, you can center yourself again.

MR: When readers finish this collection, what kinds of reflections or conversations do you hope the stories might spark?
LW: I hope it encourages people to talk about mental illness and trauma, especially sexual assault, as well as domestic violence. I hope it leads to me too conversations around those things and that it helps people realize how appallingly common this stuff is. That’s the practical answer. Ultimately, I know my hopes don’t influence the meaning making process for readers, and that knowledge makes me wildly happy. What makes a passage of writing poignant for a certain person has as much to do with their lived experiences as the words on the page, and there’s a certain alchemy when those things come together. I’m always impressed by the meaning readers can take from my work. They pick up on stuff and explore it in ways I never considered and in doing so, they give life to the work.

My Year in Books, 2025 Edition

My Year in Books

This year, I read fewer books than I’d hoped—falling short of my reading goal—but that’s partly because I was fully immersed in V Immigratsii for publication. Between editing, drafting, and obsessing over every scene, my usual reading pace slowed.

Even so, I found myself lost in books that challenged, comforted, and entertained me. 

Here are some of my favorites from 2025.

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
“Beautiful prose, strong characters, emotional depth.”
Beloved for a reason. Hannah’s exploration of mother-daughter relationships and family secrets is compelling, though my Leningrad background made me question some historical details.

Growing Up Urkel by Jaleel White
“Honest, funny, sometimes hard to read.”
White balances humor and vulnerability in his memoir, offering insight into the man behind an iconic character.

Kantika by Elizabeth Graver
“Luminous multi-generational saga.”
A rare, enlightening novel about a Sephardic Jewish family. Graver’s writing is precise and elegant.

I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom
“Inventive, refreshingly honest.”
Memoir and essays combine in unexpected ways—humor, insight, and self-reflection make it a unique read.

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida
“Gentle, thoughtful, quiet charm.”
A slower, contemplative cat story with moments of beauty—perfect for patient readers and cat lovers alike.

Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
“Sharp satire, unforgettable characters.”
Akner’s writing is razor-sharp and devastatingly funny. A book that lingers.

Unlovable: A Memoir from the Voice of Savage Garden by Darren Hayes
“Painful, illuminating, honest.”
A memoir full of heartbreak and complexity, shared with raw vulnerability.

Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
“Entertaining and sharp.”
Ambitious and thoughtful, Akner explores modern relationships, identity, and the pressures of adult life with wit and insight.

Go On Pretending by Alina Adams
“Thoroughly researched and informative.”
History and investigation come alive in Adams’ hands, making nonfiction feel vivid and engaging.

With a Vengeance by Riley Sager
“Twisty, entertaining, suspenseful.”
Not my favorite by Sager, but still a fun whodunit with suspenseful twists.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
“Heartfelt, elegant, intimate.”
Tyler captures family dynamics and human emotion with unmatched precision and sincerity.

Misophonia by Dana Vowinkel
“Favorite book of the year—eye-opening and thought-provoking.”
Translated from German, the novel raises questions I’d never considered and presents truths that resonate deeply.

Cammy Sitting Shiva by Cary Gitter
“Charming, light, and familiar.”
Bergen County references made this feel close to home. Accessible and entertaining.

Right Back at You by Carolyn Mackler
“Relatable and well-written for younger readers.”
A middle school read I shared with my kid, with important lessons delivered with humor and empathy.

I Wanted to Be Wonderful by Lihi Lapid
“Gutting, raw, deeply rewarding.”
Translated from Hebrew, this novel leans toward telling rather than showing—but its emotional weight is unforgettable.

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon
“Underwhelming, overexplained, and too far-fetched.”
Too many unbelievable turns and heavy-handed explanations dull the impact—and the Russian stereotypes quickly wear thin. Three stars.

Author Interview Series-Diane Zenn

Dianne Zenn

Diane Zenn is an author, artist and entrepreneur. She’s illustrated for several New York publications, was assistant to the creative director at New Line Cinema, created and moderates The Virtual Pen Society writers support group and runs a retail business which supports locally made products and independent authors. She’s currently working on a new project to craft an Indie Author Book Festival in Ridgewood NJ.

Marina Raydun: Your tagline says Diane Zenn would have preferred to be rescued, but instead became her own hero — how does that idea show up in Jin and Tonic?

Diane Zenn: It shows up as the opposite, really. Tonic becomes Jin’s hero. Sometimes Jin may be Tonics. I took the role of Tonic in my own life and rescued myself since no one else was volunteering. There comes a time when every individual has to come to terms with the fact that no one is coming to save them. That’s when you make the effort to change things for yourself and achieve what you want and need. 

MR: Jin and Tonic is a mix of sci-fi, action, romance, and comedy. How do you balance all these genres while keeping the story flowing?

DZ: It just happens organically. I don’t really think about it. The sci-fi aspect allowed me to build my own world which no one can fact check, because I made it up. Action, Romance and Comedy have always been the ingredients of my favorite stories so I can’t imagine one without the others…except maybe Romance? But it’s rare not to have some romance in the mix.. unless it’s a buddy story…then you can have the action and comedy without romance, but almost always one of the buddies will have a romantic interest on the side. 

MR: Tonic and Jin have such a fun, electric dynamic. How did you develop their relationship — did one character come first, or did they grow together?

DZ: They were created pretty much together. Almost 30 years ago? Just ad lib on-line goofing around in a chat room back in the 90’s. It’s hard to explain, but all the characters in this series pretty much told ME who they were and what was going to happen to them. 

MR: Your story has a strong LGBTQ+ element — how important was it for you to bring diverse representation into this universe?

DZ: When I first started this, I didnt really think about that. It wasnt a deliberate choice, it just was what it was. I studied art and writing since I was a kid, and was always surrounded by diverse people in that environment of creative learning. It was normal to me. I thought about it after someone asked me if I'd allow them to change Jin to be female if it became a live action series. I would not. I could not tell the whole Jin and Tonic story with Jin as a woman because some of the things that happen to him would be so much worse if the character was female. Also, I wanted to show a future where who you are with is not even remotely an issue. It’s like how no one blinks an eye if a woman wears pants now, but in the past it would have been scandalous. 

MR: There’s a lot of adventure and high-stakes action. Do you plot those sequences meticulously, or do they sometimes evolve organically while you write?

DZ: Both. I have the base outline, many of the more intense or funny or emotional scenes are written in advance, when the scene or emotions are triggered in my head. Then I stitch them together to form a novel. To do that involves inventing the reasons that get them from scene A to scene B and so on. I know exactly what’s going to happen in the main story arc from the beginning to end, but I work to fill in the icing in between the plot points. I say work but i really want to call it “Fun.”

MR: You’re also an illustrator and artist — does your visual creativity influence how you imagine scenes and characters?

DZ: Definitely. I can see every detail, recorded like a film in my head. I can watch these scenes over and over and edit them before and after writing them down. I've walked the Boulevard in Ba’nesspah and visited The Fantasy Palace many times. I'm pretty sure when I’m old and senile I will think these are memories of real places and people. 

MR: Humor is such a key part of the story. Do you write jokes as you go, or do they come naturally from the characters?

DZ: Mostly it comes out naturally in dialogue. Once in a while I’ll think of something and figure out how to use it. I’ve even gone back into the story to sprinkle some things throughout just to set up and land one silly joke. The hardest one I ever had to work out was the “Who’s on first” type dialogue during the shopping scene in the snooty Pue De La Mode boutique. That took me months to get right! (I really hope everyone else thinks it’s funny too) 

MR: What was your favorite scene or moment to write in Startown Biyobot, and why?

DZ: Gosh, that’s a hard one. To me, most of the scenes are iconic. But I think the most fun scenes to write are the epilogues with Masada and Tonic. I usually write the opening scenes and the epilogues before the rest of the book. The epilogues cap the book while hinting at what’s to come. Masada’s disapproving dialogue highlights and emphasizes the absurdity of Tonic's situation. I also love writing the scenes where Jin’s seemingly naive views or random actions suddenly seem logical to Tonic. 

MR: How do you approach subverting classic “hero vs. rescued” tropes?

DZ: I try to keep the characters equal. Jin may need rescuing, but he’s no damsel in distress. He gets into trouble usually trying to be heroic. And even when he’s in danger, he doesn’t panic or seem to realize it. Tonic is flabbergasted by Jin’s lack of fear. No spoilers, but as the series progresses, more and more bad things happen and Jin will probably start developing that sense of mortal fear. I haven’t worked it out yet, but at some point Jin should rescue Tonic — literally, not in an emotional or psychological sense, which I’m sure will be apparent. 

MR: Finally, if readers could take one thing away from the Jin and Tonic adventure — whether it’s laughter, excitement, or a little swoon — what would you hope it is?

DZ: Besides a little escapism, I hope to portray a healthy relationship and a non-dystopian future where we learned from our mistakes and didn't repeat them in the new worlds we created. Life imitates art. Look at some of the horrific things we watch and read as entertainment. There are no positive examples left to emulate. I want to show you can be the hero without killing and blowing up everything in sight. (Okay, maybe Esteban hasn’t learned this, but at least he shows some self control…usually) .

Get in touch with Diane here:

https://dianezenn.com

Buy the book here:

https://www.secretstudiostore.com/jin-and-tonic-startown-biyobot-paperback/

Author Interview Series-James Bow

James Bow

James Bow writes science fiction and fantasy for both kids and adults. He’s been a fan of science fiction since his family introduced him to Doctor Who on TV Ontario in 1978, and his mother read him classic sci-fi and fantasy from such authors as Clifford Simak and J.R.R. Tolkien. James won the 2017 Prix Aurora Award for best YA Novel in Canada for Icarus Down. By day, James is a communications officer for a charitable land trust protecting lands from development in Waterloo Region and Wellington County. He also loves trains and streetcars. He lives in Kitchener, Ontario, with his two kids, and his spouse/fellow writer/partner-in-crime, Erin Bow.

Marina Raydun: Congratulations on the new edition of The Night Girl! How does it feel to see the book come “home” to Shadowpaw Press and reach a new generation of readers?

James Bow: Thank you! I’m amazed at the work Ed has done with Shadowpaw Press, making waves on the Canadian literary scene and supporting Canadian authors, getting Canadian books into the hands of more Canadians, while also giving Canadians exposure to the world market. 

I’ll always be indebted to Kisa at my first publisher for bringing The Night Girl into the world, but moving things to Shadowpaw not only gives The Night Girl a new lease on life, it does feel like coming home. I’m only half joking when I say that the new edition is “now with Canadian spelling”. I’m genuinely pleased to have more letter u’s back in my book. We need to tell more Canadian stories, and Ed at Shadowpaw is making this happen.

MR: The Night Girl blends urban realism with fantasy creatures like trolls and goblins—right in the heart of Toronto. What inspired you to bring mythological beings into such a contemporary, Canadian setting?

JB: The roots of The Night Girl go back to 2003. While you wouldn’t think of it considering the slow pace of subway construction in the city, Toronto has a lot of things under construction, with a lot of projects digging deep into the bedrock. At the time Erin and I had recently seen The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and Erin suggested I consider a story set in Toronto where, like in Khazad-Dum, people had dug too greedily and too deep and unleashed… something.

I didn’t go with quite that story idea (though some elements do show up), but it got me thinking about Toronto’s underground, and how much of the city is hidden from us, both physically, and by our own perception filters, as we focus too hard on our destination to notice what’s immediately around us. Toronto has the largest contiguous underground shopping concourse in the world with its PATH network (Montreal’s la ville souterrain is bigger, but it’s in three separate sections), and it’s a maze down there. So many possible secret hideaways; definitely fodder for a story.

As for why goblins, trolls and faeries? There’s rich lore there, and I’d written it before growing up through fan fiction, and reading things like Emma Bull’s The War for the Oaks. The mix just felt right for Toronto. A lot of writing is doing that: what sort of different elements can you put together, that clash and resonate in interesting ways. It took a while to find the final story, but the elements that grabbed me at the start kept me hooked and exploring for the final resolution.

MR: Perpetua Collins is such a relatable heroine—young, ambitious, trying to find her footing. What drew you to tell her story, and how did her character evolve as you wrote the novel?

JB: I’ve heard it said that many characters are based on traits of the authors themselves, and that’s true some of the time, but there’s also the alter-ego; we put together a character based on the things that we aren’t, and it gives us something interesting to explore. Perpetua is my opposite in many ways, being a woman who addresses the world far more forcefully than I could.

I generally like writing for strong female protagonists. You see it in Frieda and Adelheid Koning in The Sun Runners, and you see it in the first trilogy I wrote, starting with The Unwritten Girl. Rosemary Watson goes through three books, turning from 12 to 18 over the course of the series, and coming into her own through her adventures. There may be a bit of a through-put between Rosemary Watson and Perpetua Collins, although I think Perpetua puts up a stronger front and takes riskier leaps.

Perpetua’s character did change over the course of the writing, as I worked on figuring out whether this book was Young Adult or not. Though I write a lot of YA, I don’t set out to write Young Adult novels; I just like to tell a particular story, and the coming of age story is a compelling narrative that happens to come up a lot in YA. When I started writing The Night Girl, Perpetua was 19, and a recent high school graduate, but as I wrote the story, I ran into difficulties. Editors said that 19 was too old for a YA protagonist, but noted that aging her down would raise big questions about why she wasn’t in school, and how could she hold down a job so young? I also found that teen readers weren’t as interested in the office humour of the story, though twenty-somethings loved it. In the end, I aged Perpetua up to twenty-one, and moved the book into New Adult territory. Perpetua now has three years of University behind her and a few jobs under her belt — some of which she doesn’t want to talk about.

MR: You’ve said the book is “fun, funny, and heartwarming,” but it also explores themes of visibility and belonging. What deeper ideas or questions were you hoping readers would reflect on beneath the humor and fantasy?

JB: I seem drawn to stories that present themselves as light-hearted, but which speak to deeper themes. A Wrinkle in Time has some dark themes about confomity and authoritarianism, for example. The Night Girl tries to be funny (and, I hope, succeeds) but it explores issues of racism and of marginalized groups struggling to make a living in a world that isn’t built for them.

I didn’t set out for these things to be there, but they materialized nonetheless. Like a lot of my books, The Night Girl has a theme of identity and the struggles of finding your own, but as Perpetua figures out who she is and her place in the world she lives in, there comes a second question: how do you react to the world you live in now that you know who you are in it? One of the biggest struggles many of us have is just being themselves in this world that will judge you or ignore you or, in some cases, try to erase your existence. 

That’s what The Night Girl matured into.

MR: You won the Prix Aurora Award for Icarus Down, and now The Night Girl continues to show your range across genres. What do you find most rewarding—and most challenging—about writing both science fiction and fantasy?

JB: Science Fiction and Fantasy have different expectations and different rules, but these rules have similarities that you can work and play with. You can’t use magic in science fiction, but you can fudge in some technology that works like magic, like ion-ships and faster-than-light travel. Rather than aliens, you can rely on mythological creatures in Fantasy. All that the readers ask is that the story be consistent to the rules you establish at the beginning of the story, or that have been established for you by the genre. Not all rules are made to be broken; they provide important structures that you hang your story on.

The rewards of science fiction and fantasy are that you are able to tell your stories in different settings or environments that simply aren’t available in contemporary fiction. I can have a book about goblin and troll office workers in downtown Toronto through urban fantasy, or I can jet off to Mercury or clear across the galaxy to tell the story of the challenges of behind human while struggling to survive in hostile environments.

But I find these settings and rules are flourishes, or aesthetics, and ultimately the stories are about the characters themselves, and the characters are people. How these people react to their settings and their stories should resonate with readers, who can see and sympathize with these people as not being that different from themselves. Thus The Night Girl and The Sun Runners become stories of women (Perpetua and Frieda) who come to understand their place and privilege in the world, and who grow into themselves by helping others with their own struggles. Icarus Down and The Night Girl become stories about finding out who you really are, and dealing with the uncomfortable truths about the world you live in.

MR: You’re also a communications officer for a land trust. Has your work in environmental preservation influenced how you approach world-building or the moral dimensions of your fiction?

JB: I am currently freelancing and supporting my wife Erin with her writing work, but working as a communications officer is a privilege for me because it pays me to write for a living. For most authors, writing is not a money-making enterprise, and we need a day job to pay the bills. Fortunately, I enjoy putting together press releases, creating newsletters, just making stuff, much more than I would doing Perpetua’s initial job of drafting invoices, answering phones and scheduling meetings.

Though, now that I think of it, a lot of that happened during my dayjobs as well.

I was equally privileged to work for non-profit agencies like the rare Charitable Research Reserve or the Canadian Water Network because these are easy causes to get behind. Unless we can find a balance between ourselves and nature, and unless we can protect the quality and quantity of our water, for everyone, the world is going to become a much harder place to live in. I’d hate to have the events that launched The Sun Runners happen here.

MR: You’ve been a Doctor Who fan since the late ’70s. Do you see any echoes of that storytelling tradition—hope, wonder, maybe a touch of whimsy—in your own writing?

JB: Oh, I am a writer because of Doctor Who. It’s as simple as that. When I was in my teens, I discovered fan fiction, and Doctor Who is one of the best franchises to explore that. The show’s writers may dress things up in science fictdion terms, throwing around phrases like “time machine” and “dimensionally transcendental”, but what it really comes down to is that it’s about a powerful wizard with a magical cabinet that can take him anywhere in the Universe.  He is a portable hero who can be dropped into almost any genre of story. Writers have a whole bunch of characters, settings or plot ideas they can take off a shelf and write about, while exploring the craft of creating their own characters, settings or plots within that universe. Better yet, fan fiction has a fan community who will happily read your work and offer comment and encouragement, which gives you plenty of opportunities to improve, and a lot of incentive to keep writing.

There’s a lot of Doctor Who in The Sun Runners and Icarus Down. There may be some in The Night Girl as well, but I have other influences. I’ve already mentioned The Lord of the Rings and Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks. I was also reading a lot of Terry Prachett while writing The Night Girl, and he’s a master at incorporating whimsy, fantasy and humour into stories that have deeper undertones and commentary about the world.
MR: The novel first came out in 2019. When revisiting it for this new edition, did you feel tempted to change anything, or did you prefer to preserve it as a snapshot of the moment it was written?

Ed corrected the American spelling in the new edition. I didn’t change much else, because I felt that the story had reached its final form, and had become as good as it was going to be. I did ask to change a few details, like the number of homeless people in Toronto, and Perpetua’s rate of pay, as unfortunately, homeless numbers and prices have gone up considerably since 2019.

Although it’s not made explicit, the dates in The Night Girl correspond to 2018, and I was thinking about that year as I was writing the tale — it was the best mixture of near-future and contemporary as I could find.  But the dates also correspond to the year 2029, and who knows: maybe the optimistic-with-fingers-crossed ending will fit well with that date when we get to it, given the way things are these days.

MR: Toronto feels like another character in the book. What makes the city such a compelling backdrop for fantasy, and what do you hope readers—especially Canadian ones—see differently after reading The Night Girl?

JB: Toronto is a diverse city with many possibilities for diverse and interesting characters. And as a Canadian city that, by and large, works, you aren’t obliged to tell a noir urban fantasy tale like Chicago tends to see, though Toronto can do noir, and Chicago’s not nearly as bad as its reputation sometimes presents. I also think, with fantasy — urban and otherwise — we look for unexpected things, or we like to explore hidden things. Not only are there plenty of hidden things to explore in Toronto, it’s an unexpected setting when it comes to urban fantasy. But if there can be werewolves in London and vampires in Sunnydale, there can be goblins and trolls in Toronto and Montreal, and as Canadians telling Canadian stories, we owe it to ourselves to make these contributions to the urban fantasy genre.

MR: Finally, what’s next for you? Are there more stories brewing in the Night Girl universe—or perhaps another world entirely waiting to be explored?

JB: The Night Girl is a stand-alone with a deliberately ambiguous ending, because the emotional climax of the story is the decisions that Perpetua, the goblins and the trolls make, with the impact of that decision being left to the imagination of the reader. I like stories like that, which offer a mixture of hope and trepidation for the resolution. If there’s a second book, it will deal with the human reaction to this world of goblins, trolls and faeries, and it will probably be called The Day Boy.

But right now I’m working on a companion YA SF novel to The Sun Runners called The Cloud Riders, set on Venus and Mars. It’s sort of an interplanetary Country Mouse/City Mouse thing, and I’m having fun with it. There’s also a near-future New Adult SF novel I’m working on about the impact to our identities in the face of rampant automation called The Curator of Forgotten Things. That one won’t have space colonies or space-opera settings, but be a bittersweet tale set in Halifax in 2040. That one intrigues me a lot. We’ll see how it goes.

You can find James Bow online at jamesbow.ca.

Author Interview Series-Kristine Jensen

Kristine Jensen

Kristine Jensen has spent her career shaping narratives, crafting voices, and distilling complex ideas into language that connects. Kristine is a lifelong writer whose work has spanned scripts, screenplays, documentaries, and storytelling for brands and organizations. She has written hundreds of marketing scripts across industries ranging from technology to healthcare and education. Her scripts have earned multiple honors, including three Telly Awards and honors from the Columbus Film/Video Festival, the Houston International Film Festival, and the New York Film Festival.  Raised on a farm in South Dakota, Kristine drew inspiration for her debut novel, Wednesday Club, from the handwritten minutes of her grandmother’s real-life women’s club, which met faithfully for over sixty years. She now lives in Oregon, where she writes fiction that celebrates women’s inner lives, unlikely friendships, and the quiet power of small towns.

Marina Raydun: Wednesday Club celebrates inter-generational friendship in such a warm, funny way — what inspired you to bring this story to life?

Kristine Jensen: After my grandmother passed away, we found a box of keepsakes from her Wednesday Club: photos, club minutes, and club programs from 1927 to 1995. They captured the story of a group of rural women who met once a month and conducted their meetings according to strict parliamentary procedure. The club was more than just a social club — it was a way to learn about current affairs and find opportunities to help their community. I was especially intrigued by the idea of women's friendships spanning generations. The minutes from the real Wednesday Club sparked the idea for a novel about what might happen if city girl Ivy is dumped on a farm — and how her grandmother's Wednesday Club might help her to find a sense of home.

MR: Ivy is a teen navigating a very small-town life in 1963. How did you approach capturing her voice and perspective?

KJ: Ivy is a city girl, born and raised in Omaha, with no experience with rural life. When her mother dumps her at her grandparents' farm in South Dakota, Ivy is both furious and lost. She doesn't want to be there; feels South Dakota is in the middle of nowhere; and is friendless and lonely. She thinks her mother will come back for her very soon, but as the months stretch on, she realizes she will have to find a way to cope in this strange place. Although my personal life was the opposite of Ivy's (I was a farm girl who moved to San Francisco), I could tap into those old feelings of loneliness, feeling very out of place, and not sure whether I really belonged there or could ever fit in.

MR: The Wednesday Club women each have such distinct personalities. Did any of them come directly from real-life inspirations, like your grandmother’s club?

KJ: I was too young to know many of the women in my grandmother’s Wednesday Club, and all the characters are fictional. Yet I was able to pull some elements of the older women I had known growing up in rural South Dakota. The character of the grandmother is probably closest to my own grandmother, but Ivy's mother is very unlike my mother. Like most authors, I would say that the characters are a blend of many people I have known in my life. And then, as in all good novels, the characters are exaggerated to make them more interesting.

MR: Humor and heart run throughout the book, even when Ivy faces challenges. How do you balance lightness and serious moments in your storytelling?

JK: I specifically created the character of Etola to bring lightness to the group of women. She’s silly, ridiculous, naive, quirky, and extremely lovable — and the perfect foil for her rigid, critical, and cranky sister Bathilda. Together, they create a lot of humor. And because the book has some very serious themes of racism, death, and challenging times, I also wanted to create moments of humor with the other characters. Real life is a mixture of lightness and seriousness, and I hoped to capture this in my novel.

MR: Secrets and surprises drive a lot of the plot. How do you keep the tension alive while still making the story feel cozy and heartfelt?

KJ: The protagonist, Ivy, has been told all her life that her father is dead, and her mother has worked to keep this fantasy alive. Still, Ivy knows she had a father and wonders about him. While she is at her grandparents’; house, she searches for photos or other clues about him. Many of the other characters in the book know more about the truth of the situation, so this also creates an interesting tension in the story. A surprise event begins to unravel the secret.

MR: What was your process for researching or imagining life on a South Dakota farm in the early 60s?

KJ: Of course, it helps that I grew up on a farm, and I go back to South Dakota at least once a year. When I started writing the novel, I tried to really soak in the South Dakota experience, making notes and taking photos. Writing about 1963 and 1964 was more challenging, as I was just a little girl then. I used catalogs and magazines to capture the fashion, cars, furniture, and kitchen appliances. My mom found a stack of farm women’s periodicals (called Kitchen Klatter) from the early ‘60s for me at an antique store. These were a treasure trove of articles, photos, and ideas for what it was like to be a farm wife during that time. And I researched the significant events in the country, including the death of JFK and the beginning of the women’s movement.

MR: Friendship across generations is a big theme here. Why do you think those relationships resonate so strongly with readers?

JK: Those of us who are lucky enough to have friends across generations know how gratifying those connections can be. Older women have so much wisdom to pass along based on their own experiences with relationships, careers, and raising children. And younger women have their enthusiasm, optimism, and (sometimes) children to share! Now that I‘m older, I am so grateful for the opportunity to mentor younger women and continue learning from older women.

MR: Your background spans scripts, screenplays, and brand storytelling. How has that shaped the way you structure a novel?

KJ: I believe my background has significantly influenced how I structured my novel. For many years, I wrote scripts for videos and documentaries as part of my daily job. During that time, I was also writing screenplays as my “fun” writing. These formats are all very driven by the need to combine words and pictures – so I think that, when I wrote the novel, I first created the visual place in my head, then wrote the action and dialogue. I needed to “see” the place I was writing about. I think the marketing and copywriting of my later career years have influenced a tighter writing style and shorter chapters that are more like movie scenes. You won’t find many detailed descriptions or lengthy metaphors in my book. And this style also mirrors the South Dakota voice, where people speak directly and are generally less verbose.

MR: If the Wednesday Club women were real today, what advice do you think they’d have for someone like Ivy (or even for us)?

KJ: I think Wednesday Club members today would urge Ivy to let them help her— she doesn’t have to do it all by herself. I believe that most women want to help one another and lift each other up, if only we let them. We don’t have to go it alone because most women can relate to each other’s challenges and concerns. I believe that, even in our divided nation, we have more in common than we have differences.

MR: Finally, what do you hope readers take away after spending time with Ivy and the Wednesday Club?

KJ: I hope readers find something they can relate to in the story — whether that’s memories of rural life or the relationship they had with their grandmother — even if they weren’t raised in a rural environment. There are some universal themes in the novel, including the importance of women’s friendships, finding meaningful ways to connect with very different people, and the desire we all have to belong and feel loved. And finally, I hope readers remember to value their own “Wednesday Clubs” or to find or create one. We all need a Wednesday Club in our lives.

Learn more about the real Wednesday Club at www.wednesday-club.com.