1 what inspired the idea of your story?

There were actually a bunch of little things that led me to write Stellina. I knew I wanted the ocean to play a big part in the story, and I wanted both my protagonists to bond over music. I also wanted it to be a mystery and have the clues written between the pages of books, and so I started putting all those things together to get a story.

 2 what is something you struggled constructing with your story? 

The mystery part of it was really hard to write. I'd never written a mystery before, so the pacing and making sure I didn't reveal too much was really hard. At the end of the first draft, I had so many potholes and it took me forever to find and fix them.

3 what did you enjoy writing most of your story? 

I loved writing the romantic scenes with the two protagonists Lina and Luka. Their dialogue was really fun to write, but I also loved describing their emotions and incorporating music into the prose.

4 what's the overall response of your story from your readers? 

It was very positive! A lot of readers said they were touched by the story and really loved the depth of the characters and how real they were.

5 is your story a stand alone novel or a piece of a series ? 

a stand alone

6 what would you like your readers to take away from your story?

I want readers to know that we are all works-in-progress and we all have flaws and that it's okay to make mistakes. In the end, we are all just doing our best to make a positive impact in the world. Everyone has something to contribute, so don't be afraid to share your gifts with others.

 7 what advice would you provide to fellow writers, when it comes to focusing on their own story?

Keep pushing through. It took a lot of perseverance to finish Stellina, but it was so worth it in the end. Just do your best: first drafts will never be perfect, and that's okay. If you put your heart into your story, it will show.

 8 does your main character share any similarities to yourself?

In some ways, yes. She's a little more introverted like I am, and she plays a string instrument like I do. But I generally try to create characters different than myself so she definitely has many unique quality

 9 what is something about your story you believe would draw in new readers? 

It has a lot of unique qualities! Lina is actually mute, and Luka is Jewish (it's set in France 1930s), so there's a lot I explore with that. I wrote the characters with the intent of making them real and flawed in hopes that readers would find them relatable.

10 do you have any future projects?

Yes! I actually just started a new story that takes place in 1950s London. I'll probably post it on my profile soon.