What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Mancala Moon?
Mancala Moon grew out of a question I kept returning to: why do grief and harmful family patterns sometimes feel less like experiences and more like inheritances – almost like a curse passed quietly from one generation to the next. I was interested in that feeling of being born into something you didn’t choose, yet still being asked to carry it. I wanted to explore that idea in a mythic, symbolic way – something that felt less like a modern novel and more like an old folktale whispered around a fire. The forest, the visions, the silent fox, and the ancient game all became ways to externalize an inner struggle: the moment when someone realizes that healing doesn’t come from escaping the past, but from facing it with courage and intention. At its heart, this book is about the quiet, difficult choice to break a cycle – to believe that even something that feels centuries old can end with you. I wanted to write a story that feels beautiful and haunting, but also hopeful. A reminder that the power to change a legacy already lives within us.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I love books with layered meaning – stories that linger and feel timeless, revealing something new depending on who’s reading. Literary fiction, magical realism, and mythic tales pull me in because they explore inner lives while hinting at something larger. I’m drawn to writing the same way: crafting quietly mythic stories where emotion and symbolism guide the narrative, inviting readers to find their own reflections.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
I’m currently working my way through The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, which I keep returning to for his precision, emotional depth, and ability to convey so much with so little.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
I loved writing Micah’s interactions with the fox throughout the book. There’s something magical about his emotional connection with the fox – an almost unspoken bond – through which he receives guidance without words. The fox doesn’t tell him what to do or where to go, but gently supports him, allowing Micah to make each choice for himself. Writing these moments let me explore subtle symbolism, emotional intimacy, and the mystical thread running through the story, making the forest feel alive and deeply personal. I like to think we all have our own fox – whether internal or external – quietly guiding us through uncertainty and helping us find our own way.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I like to write with natural sunlight filling the room and my beagle curled up by my feet. There’s something grounding about that quiet warmth as I settle into the story.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
I try to live by the idea that even the heaviest burdens or longest-standing patterns can be faced and changed. It’s a reminder that courage doesn’t always roar – it often lives in those quiet, daily choices. Much like in Mancala Moon, I believe that the power to move through grief already exists within us; we just have to find the strength to claim it.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
I hope readers carry the reminder that even the heaviest burdens or longest-standing patterns can be faced and changed. Healing, growth, and transformation often come quietly, through small choices and acts of courage, rather than grand gestures. I also hope Mancala Moon is a book readers return to – one that reveals something new each time, lingering in the mind and heart like a quiet, mythic echo.
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