Q&A: Barbara Jean Weber, Author of 'The Welcome Sign' #Q&A #Interview

Barbara Jean Weber lives in Skagit County with her husband and two daughters, where she works as a speech and language therapist. Her novel, The Welcome Sign, was inspired when she was gifted a mermaid welcome sign. The more she studied the sign, the more her story evolved. She is currently an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Visit her website at https://www.barbarajeanweber.com/. 

Tell us about your book! What inspired you to write it?

The Welcome Sign begins when Molly Parmell's grandmother mysteriously disappears. She and her mother travel to Cape Cod to take ownership of the house they inherited and begin to discover unusual things about the grandmother's sudden disappearance. What they discover is more dangerous and life changing than they ever imaged. When Molly and her mother find a beautiful mermaid Welcome Sign in the attic and place it on the front door strange events start to happen and they are flooded with visitors who claim they knew the grandmother.  They soon find out that the mysterious Welcome Sign comes with powerful magic and secrets are slowly revealed as Molly learns about her grandmothers involvement with

a secret organization working to keep balance between the magical realm and the real world. The magical realms placed an invisible veil of secrecy over the world to hide their true identities from the human world allowing them to live among the humans in secret. An angry rebel group of magical beings, tired of living in hiding is tearing down and destroying the magical cloaking fabric between the two worlds. If they are not stopped the magical realm will be revealed and will  no longer be safe from the rest of the world.  As Molly and her mom embark on a dangerous and magical adventure throughout the magical realms to help stop  the rebels, she learns of her own unique powers and her strong family heritage connected to the Welcome Sign. Along the way, she teams up with new magical friends helping to keep the realm of magic safe from the eyes of the world and discovers that her grandmother was right all along. The world she thought she knew no longer exists, but an amazing world of magic woven into their world has always been hiding in plain sight.

The Welcome Sign's creation began when I received a beautiful mermaid Welcome Sign as a gift. I love mermaids and my parents had found a lovely sign with a mermaid on it. The store was going out of business so they purchased the sign for me. After I received it as a gift, I had several amazing dreams about the origin of the sign. Those dreams were the inspiration and basis for the "The Welcome Sign."

In school I was always interested in creative writing and was excited when we received new assignments to write something new and interesting. Having an interest in creative writing from an early age allowed me an outlet for writing about things that really interested me.  I had written short stories for assignments but had never tackled anything quite like this. Writing a book someday was always something I had dreamed about if I found the right story.  I've always had a fascination with mermaids and magical realms so when I started having the dreams about the sign, I began writing the main ideas down, put them in outline form and started creating characters, events, etc.  As it evolved, it became a fun adventure story that I was eager to share with my family and others as I felt they would also enjoy reading it. A project that once seemed overwhelming and daunting was replaced with the joy of creating magical worlds, interesting characters, intrigue and battles between good and evil. It's fun to believe that my metal mermaid welcome sign might really have a magical origin story. You just never know.  The Welcome Sign was written as the first book in a series of three. The second book is written but not published and the third book is still being developed and is in outline form.

How did you choose the title for your book? Did it come to you right away, before you started writing it, or did it come later? 

Both the title of the book and concept of the story started as a result of receiving the metal mermaid welcome sign as a gift and from the dreams that followed. There was no doubt about the title of the book. I knew from the very beginning that the title would be The Welcome Sign. 

Tell us about the cover design process. Did you have a basic idea of what your book cover would be like?  

I had a basic concept of the cover. I wanted a mermaid Welcome Sign featured on a door since that was the basis of the plot for the book. My daughter expanded it from there. We discussed the concept and she made various versions of the artwork.

Who is your cover designer and how did you find him/her? 

The cover design and concepts were inspired by artwork from my oldest daughter. I had a basic idea of what I wanted the cover to look like but my daughter expanded it from there. She is very talented with all sorts of art and I knew I wanted her work featured for the cover. The artists with Bookbaby, who published the book changed the artwork just slightly from my daughters original work to prevent any trademark issues from the original metal welcome sign design.

What has been the readers’ response to your cover? 

People seem to really like the cover design and are impressed that it was inspired by my daughters artwork.

What tips would you give to authors who are looking for a cover designer? 

I would recommend finding someone who's art you like. If it's a family member or friend that makes it more personable. If you don't have someone like that, then look at book covers in the genre you are writing in, look at similar art on line to see if something fits your vision and reach out to them directly if possible. I went through BookBaby publishing company and they have artists that work on the covers, so you can work closely with them to make your vision come alive.

Anything else you’d like to say about your book?

The Welcome Sign is a fun, magical story for young-middle teen readers who enjoy hidden worlds of enchantment, magical powers, interesting characters, strong friendships, adventure and imaginative and emotionally engaging stories. The Welcome Sign is a balance between personal growth and magical adventure. It is full of good versus evil, intrigue and action. This book will delight and entertain readers who enjoy unique and magical characters, secrets to be revealed and discovering amazing new places. The Welcome Sign aligns with readers expectations for middle-grade fantasy.  I am working on finishing book three in The Welcome Sign series.

I look forward to your feedback and am happy to write back to you. Please check out my website: www.barbarajeanweber.com and I can also be reached at author@barbarajeanweber.com.

Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know me and more about The Welcome Sign. If you like fun, adventure stories with lots of action, this book will be a fun one to read.

 

Watch Your Next Read: Book Trailer: Evan's Gift by Karen Charles #booktrailer

 

 

When Evan trades his dream of a new bike for compassion, he discovers the greatest gift of all—helping others. Perfect for classrooms and families, “Evan’s Gift” celebrates empathy, courage, and the beauty of giving in a warm, uplifting story about generosity and the power of choosing kindness.

• Genre:children’s fiction
• Sub-genre:Social Themes / Friendship
• Age Range (years):5 – 12
• Language:English
• Pages: 48
• Paperback ISBN:9798317824341
• Publisher: BookBaby

Ethan’s Gift is available at BookBaby.

 

 

 

Karen Charles grew up in West Africa and traveled to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Her rich background and lifetime experiences are reflected in the depth of her writing. In her stories, she transforms real-life narratives into gripping fiction thrillers. Her novels intricately weave the threads of truth into a tapestry of suspense, intrigue, and riveting storytelling. She is the author of two children’s books, “Freeman Earns a Bike” and “Evan’s Gifts,” and three thrillers based on true stories. “Fateful Connections” takes place in the aftermath of 9/11, and “Blazing Upheaval” takes place during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and the Northridge earthquake. “A Glimpse Too Far” offers all the mystery and heart-pounding suspense of a psychological thriller and is based on a true story.

Karen Charles has two businesses—a global company that trains international teachers to teach American English and an Airbnb on a beautiful bay in Washington State, where she currently resides with her husband. 

Visit her website at www.weaveofsuspense.com. 

Connect with her on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Q&A: John Beilharz, Author of 'Tender Dreams, Harsh Reality' #Q&A #Interview

As a Ph.D. in psychology, John Beilharz has had an illustrious career in various fields. From practicing as a therapist to teaching at a junior college, he eventually founded his successful marketing and advertising firm. Yet, despite his success in these endeavors, John has always been drawn to the art of storytelling.

Through his memoirs, John shares his life experiences in a poignant and captivating way. This collection of short stories is a testament to the power of the human spirit and the enduring resilience of the human soul.

His latest book is Tender Dreams, Harsh Reality. 

You can visit his website at https://jbadvertising.com or follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/people/John-Beilharz-Author/61573799214000/.

Why did you decide to write Tender Dreams, Harsh Reality? Did the inspiration come at a particular moment or had you been planning to write the book for a while?

The idea for Tender Dreams, Harsh Reality had been with me for decades. Over the years, people would often say things like, “I heard you spent time in jail in Mexico, how did that happen?” or “You must have

quite a story about your trials and tribulations during the Vietnam War,” or “Tell me about that year-long wilderness program you did.”

Each question opened the door to a story that was far too complex to tell in a brief conversation. I would start, then realize there simply wasn’t enough time, or the right setting to do the experiences justice. Eventually, it became clear that these stories needed more room to breathe.

I kept telling myself, I should write this down. What began as a way to share my experiences with friends and family gradually evolved into something more. I realized that others, beyond my immediate circle might find meaning, insight, or even inspiration in these stories as well. Writing the book became the natural way to finally tell them fully, honestly, and in my own voice.

From the time you started writing Tender Dreams, Harsh Reality, how long did it take to get it out there? Any obstacles along the way or none that you can think of? 

The writing itself took approximately a year. Once the manuscript was complete, I spent another five months editing and carefully considering which publishing path to pursue. That stage required just as much thought and commitment as the writing, as I wanted to be sure the book was presented in the best possible way.

Like most creative projects, there were potential obstacles, but I was fortunate not to face them alone. The guidance and support of my editor made a tremendous difference. Not only did they help refine the manuscript, but they also walked me through the self-publishing process, which could have been overwhelming otherwise. Without that assistance, I’m certain the journey would have been far more challenging.

What are some of the positive results or responses you have received since publishing your book?

The feedback from readers has been truly phenomenal and deeply gratifying. Shortly after publishing Tender Dreams, Harsh Reality, I began writing my second book, which meant I didn’t initially have much time to focus on marketing the first one. I’m only now starting to give it the attention it deserves.

Even so, the responses I’ve received have been incredibly encouraging. Several book clubs have chosen the book, and hearing their reactions has been especially meaningful. Many readers connected with the experiences and themes, and it was a genuine pleasure to go down memory lane with book club members who shared similar moments, questions, or reflections. Those conversations have been among the most rewarding outcomes of publishing the book.

List three interesting facts about your book.

1. Much of the book is drawn directly from my journals I kept throughout the periods of my life it covers. These firsthand accounts allowed me to capture events, emotions, and reflections with honesty and immediacy.
2. During my year-long wilderness program, our class participated in an unconventional experience: after completing a two-week wilderness survival course, we spent an additional week in Oakland learning what was described as “urban survival.” Twenty-five years later, I returned to Oakland and reconnected with several of the organizations that had supported me during that formative time.
3. I later worked with young adults from various Juvenile Halls throughout the Bay Area, leading them on 30-day wilderness expeditions. This rehabilitative, experiential model was eventually adopted by Outward Bound, a well-known program for adolescents.

List three interesting facts about yourself.

1) In the late 1970s, I taught psychology at a junior college and worked with learning-disabled students, using hypnosis and gestalt therapy primarily to treat phobias. The program proved highly successful, and I went on to lecture at other colleges on how to develop and implement similar approaches.

2) I founded an alternative master’s program in Northern California that allowed students to earn a degree in psychotherapy while simultaneously accruing supervised hours toward licensure. The program was taught by leading therapists and professors from the Bay Area and developed a four-year waiting list.

3) I have a deep love of travel and have traveled extensively since the 1980s, exploring cultures and places that have continually shaped my personal and professional perspective.

How can our readers reach out to you?

johnwbeilharz@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/people/John-Beilharz-Author

 

Book Watch: Fighter Pilot's Daughter by Mary Lawlor #bookwatch

 

 

Title: Fighter Pilot's Daughter
Author: Mary Lawlor
Pages: 323
Genre: Memoir

Fighter Pilot’s Daughter: Growing Up in the Sixties and the Cold War tells the story of Mary Lawlor’s dramatic, roving life as a warrior’s child. A family biography and a young woman’s vision of the Cold War, Fighter Pilot’s Daughter narrates the more than many transfers the family made from Miami to California to Germany as the Cold War demanded. Each chapter describes the workings of this traveling household in a different place and time. The book’s climax takes us to Paris in May ’68, where Mary—until recently a dutiful military daughter—has joined the legendary student demonstrations against among other things, the Vietnam War. Meanwhile her father is flying missions out of Saigon for that very same war. Though they are on opposite sides of the political divide, a surprising reconciliation comes years later.

Read sample here.

Fighter Pilot’s Daughter is available at Amazon.

The pilot’s house where I grew up was mostly a women’s world. There were five of us. We had the place to ourselves most of the time. My mother made the big decisions—where we went to school, which bank to keep our money in. She had to decide these things often because we moved every couple of years. The house is thus a figure of speech, a way of thinking about a long series of small, cement dwellings we occupied as one fictional home.

It was my father, however, who turned the wheel, his job that rotated us to so many different places. He was an aviator, first in the Marines, later in the Army. When he came home from his extended absences—missions, they were called—the rooms shrank around him. There wasn’t enough air. We didn’t breathe as freely as we did when he was gone, not because he was mean or demanding but because we worshipped him. Like satellites my sisters and I orbited him at a distance, waiting for the chance to come closer, to show him things we’d made, accept gifts, hear his stories. My mother wasn’t at the center of things anymore. She hovered, maneuvered, arranged, corrected. She was first lady, the dame in waiting. He was the center point of our circle, a flier, a winged sentry who spent most of his time far up over our heads. When he was home, the house was definitely his.

These were the early years of the Cold War. It was a time of vivid fears, pictured nowadays in photos of kids hunkered under their school desks. My sisters and I did that. The phrase “air raid drill” rang hard—the double-A sound a cold, metallic twang, ending with ill. It meant rehearsal for a time when you might get burnt by the air you breathed.

Every day we heard practice rounds of artillery fire and ordinance on the near horizon. We knew what all this training was for. It was to keep the world from ending. Our father was one of many dads who sweat at soldierly labor, part of an arsenal kept at the ready to scare off nuclear annihilation of life on earth. When we lived on post, my sisters and I saw uniformed men marching in straight lines everywhere. This was readiness, the soldiers rehearsing against Armageddon. The rectangular buildings where the commissary, the PX, the bowling alley, and beauty shop were housed had fallout shelters in the basements, marked with black and yellow wheels, the civil defense insignia. Our dad would often leave home for several days on maneuvers, readiness exercises in which he and other men played war games designed to match the visions of big generals and political men. Visions of how a Russian air and ground attack would happen. They had to be ready for it.

A clipped, nervous rhythm kept time on military bases. It was as if you needed to move efficiently to keep up with things, to be ready yourself, even if you were just a kid. We were chased by the feeling that life as we knew it could change in an hour.

This was the posture. On your mark, get set. But there was no go. It was a policy of meaningful waiting. Meaningful because it was the waiting itself that counted—where you did it, how many of the necessities you had, how long you could keep it up. Imagining long, sunless days with nothing to do but wait for an all-clear sign or for the threatening, consonant-heavy sounds of a foreign language overhead, I taught myself to pray hard.

– Excerpted from Fighter Pilot’s Daughter by Mary Lawlor, Rowman and Littlefield, 2013. Reprinted with permission.

 

Mary Lawlor is author of Fighter Pilot’s Daughter (Rowman & Littlefield 2013, paper 2015), Public Native America (Rutgers Univ. Press 2006), and Recalling the Wild (Rutgers Univ. Press, 2000). Her short stories and essays have appeared in Big Bridge and Politics/Letters. She studied the American University in Paris and earned a Ph.D. from New York University. She divides her time between an old farmhouse in Easton, Pennsylvania, and a cabin in the mountains of southern Spain.

You can visit her website at https://www.marylawlor.net/ or connect with her on Twitter or Facebook.

 

Q&A: Yolonda Tonette Sanders, Author of Soul Matters #Q&A #Interview

 

Yolonda Tonette Sanders, Ph.D., is a storyteller at heart with a passion for both words and people. She is the co-founder of the Faith and Fellowship Book Festival and the author of numerous works, including novels, poetry, short stories, and academic publications. Her writing blends authenticity, emotional depth, and spiritual insight, often drawing from her own journey of faith and resilience.

Yolonda earned her doctorate in organizational leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University and is certified in emotional intelligence. She enjoys teaching, mentoring, consulting, and helping others discover their own voices through writing. When she’s not creating or consulting, you’ll likely find her spending time with her husband or enjoying heartfelt moments with loved ones.

Her latest book is the contemporary Christian fiction, Soul Matters.

You can visit her website at www.yoproductions.net .

Watch her YouTube channel!

Connect with her at  X, Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads.

Why did you decide to write Soul Matters? Did the inspiration come at a particular moment or had you been planning to write the book for a while?

I used to have nearly an hour-long commute to work. Sometimes, my commute was quiet time to reflect and pray. I enjoyed my job, but I didn’t feel like it fully utilized my potential. So, I was searching for purpose. Although I’d never written a novel at that time, I’d written short stories and poetry. I liked

writing, and I sought a way to share my faith through creativity. 

From the time you started writing Soul Matters, how long did you take to get it out there? Any obstacles along the way or none that you can think of?

It took three years from the time I started writing the book to its initial publication. I also worked on the subsequent 20th anniversary edition for about three years. I toyed with the idea back and forth for years as to whether I would even release the revised edition. When I was finally ready to give up on the idea, the characters would not let me let it go. The experience reminded me of when I first wrote the book. My biggest obstacle was myself and the self-doubt I struggled with internally. 

Did you have to do any research before writing this book or was it more self-guided knowledge on the subject? 

The story takes place in Columbus, OH, where I currently reside, so I didn’t have to conduct extensive research. Before changing the setting to my local city, I’d initially planned to set it in Chicago, IL. At that time, I did a lot of research, including two trips to Chicago to explore the city. 

What are some of the positive results or responses you have received since publishing your book?

Readers often tell me that Soul Matters helped them see their own situations differently, especially in terms of forgiveness and faith. Some have said it gave them the courage to confront painful experiences or mend broken relationships. Hearing that the book continues to encourage people, even twenty years later, has been the most rewarding part of this journey.

List three interesting facts about your book.

1. The original title was completely different . . . and terrible! Thankfully, a kind coworker told me so, and that feedback led to the much better title, Soul Matters.
2. My husband designed the book cover. 
3. Soul Matters was my debut novel and the one that launched my career as an author.

List three interesting facts about yourself.

1. I was my mother’s caregiver before she passed in 2017. Now, I’m my father’s caregiver! 

2. In 2021, I learned that I had an older brother, which is something that I had longed for my entire life!

3. I have a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and love helping others grow in faith, creativity, and purpose.

How can our readers reach out to you?

• Website: YoProductions.net (www.yoproductions.net)
• YouTube: @YoProMedia (https://www.youtube.com/@YoProMedia)
• Instagram: @ytsanders (www.instagram.com/ytsanders)
• X: @ytsanders (x.com/ytsanders)
• Facebook: YoProductions (www.facebook.com/yoproductions)

 

Book Watch: From Turmoil to Peace by Delia E. Hayward #bookwatch

 

 

Title: From Turmoil to Peace
Author: Delia E. Hayward
Pages: 206
Genre: Christian Memoir

Delia Hayward, one of eight children, grew up during the Hippie Era in a dysfunctional family, for whom emotional and physical abuse was a normal occurrence of her childhood. Her marriage further deteriorated what little self-esteem she retained from her childhood.

Perhaps these torments are what made her desperately seek God and a personal relationship with Him.

When her marriage fell apart, she rose to the challenge of raising three sons alone. With the help of God and sheer determination, Delia managed to instill positive self-esteem and a love for God into the hearts of the next generation.

As you read this book, may you also find hope in the midst of your storm, and may God bring you from turmoil to peace.

Read sample here.

From Turmoil to Peace is available at Amazon and Barnes&Noble.

I continued attending Al-Anon meetings to improve my life. One day, my sponsor advised me to make a God Box; I needed to learn how to trust God. I was to put all the things I could not handle, could not afford, or could not change down on strips of paper. Then I was to put those strips of paper into the box and give them all to Him. Then I was to wait to see how many of those things were taken care of by Him.  

As I put each strip of paper into my God Box, I wept with relief. With every folded piece of paper, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was giving my worries to God and would trust Him to take care of them. A calm and peace came over me and I knew God was with me. I remembered many years ago when I had screamed at God in desperation, and He told me I didn’t trust him. Finally, I was learning how to trust Him.  

One day, I didn’t have enough money to buy food for the week, but I knew that God would take care of us. When I walked to the mailbox, there was a check for $70, just for switching telephone companies. That check paid for food for that week. Other times, I would find money in my pockets just when I was out of cash. God was taking care of me.

In Al-Anon, I learned more about God, life, reactions, and forgiveness. It was now time for me to forgive the man I hated; the man who had done so many terrible things to me and our boys. How was I supposed to forgive the man who tried to kill me? I was told that I had to pray for John every day, ask God to bless him, and give him everything he needed.  

I didn’t want to pray for John. I wished he was dead. I hated him. He continued to harass me by telephone. However, I prayed for John as I was told. This was supposed to help me get rid of the hate inside me. Soon after I began praying for him, I could feel my anger and hatred towards him fade away. They were replaced by compassion for the man who had lost a beautiful, loving family, and didn’t know God. The harassing phone calls suddenly stopped. God was awesome!

Father, thank you for your grace and mercy. Give me the strength and power to extend that same mercy and grace to those in my life who have hurt me.

– Excerpted from From Turmoil to Peace by Delia Hayward, Emery Press Books, 2025. Reprinted with permission. 

 

Delia Hayward is a proud mother of three wonderful sons, a beautiful granddaughter and a precious grandson. God put it on her heart to write this book “From Turmoil to Peace” so that people could benefit from her life experiences. She has been blessed and hopes her book blesses others.

You can visit her website at https://deliahayward.name/ and follow her at Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/delia.hayward.14. 

Watch Your Next Read: Book Trailer: Fighter Pilot's Daughter by Mary Lawlor #booktrailer

 

 

Title: Fighter Pilot’s Daughter: Growing Up in the Sixties and the Cold War

Author: Mary Lawlor

Publisher: Rowman and Littlefield

Pages: 323

Genre: Memoir

Fighter Pilot’s Daughter: Growing Up in the Sixties and the Cold War tells the story of Mary Lawlor’s dramatic, roving life as a warrior’s child. A family biography and a young woman’s vision of the Cold War, Fighter Pilot’s Daughter narrates the more than many transfers the family made from Miami to California to Germany as the Cold War demanded. Each chapter describes the workings of this traveling household in a different place and time. The book’s climax takes us to Paris in May ’68, where Mary—until recently a dutiful military daughter—has joined the legendary student demonstrations against among other things, the Vietnam War. Meanwhile her father is flying missions out of Saigon for that very same war. Though they are on opposite sides of the political divide, a surprising reconciliation comes years later.

Fighter Pilot’s Daughter is available at Amazon.

 

 

 

Mary Lawlor is author of Fighter Pilot’s Daughter (Rowman & Littlefield 2013, paper 2015), Public Native America (Rutgers Univ. Press 2006), and Recalling the Wild (Rutgers Univ. Press, 2000). Her short stories and essays have appeared in Big Bridge and Politics/Letters. She studied the American University in Paris and earned a Ph.D. from New York University. She divides her time between an old farmhouse in Easton, Pennsylvania, and a cabin in the mountains of southern Spain.

You can visit her website at https://www.marylawlor.net/ or connect with her on Twitter or Facebook.

 

Q&A: Paula Onohi Omokhomion, Author of Shape of the Sun #Q&A #Interview

Paula Omokhomion is a Master of Public Policy student at the UC Riverside School of Public Policy, though she’s fairly certain that won’t be forever. She holds a B.S. in Public Health Nutrition from UNC Chapel Hill, where she also minored in Creative Writing (Fiction) and graduated with highest honors for her 120-page thesis novella, New Age Taffeta.

Paula developed her skills and love for writing fiction in a very, very interesting Nigerian boarding school, where the lack of television meant she had to invent entertainment for everyone else. She loves reading manhwa, watching Indian TV dramas, listening to music, and writing short stories.When not doing any of those or in the classroom handling R code, she’s refining her LinkedIn or taking Instagram selfies.
She lives in California with her family, including her two fellow triplets, and is currently dreaming of a future PhD in public health—and maybe another novel.

Author Links  

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Thanks for this interview. Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regard to getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing? Can you tell us about your journey? 

I believe that it wasn’t as smooth during the writing compared to the publishing. When I wrote this book, I was a junior in college, and so I was handling a lot of important external responsibilities while ensuring I wrote at least once a day for seven months. This book actually took almost every day of seven months to write. 

I wrote it on Wattpad in its earliest form, and it had over 4k readers and I would get very supportive comments that really supported me in writing more. However, if I had to take a break for school or rest, I would get some mean comments which came off as entitled. I had to note mid-story I was going on a break and ignore so many comments, so it wasn’t really smooth. The publishing was smooth sailing because I used Draft2Digital, which is a very cost-effective and proactive way of getting your work out there and on different retail platforms. I think most difficulty was social media marketing because it involved putting myself out there, which I am not used to. 

When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun? 

 I like to read Manhwas which are the South Korean webtoons, watch Indian or Spanish Dramas, or listen to music. I am also very professional/academic-inclined, so I don’t mind spending time on polishing my CV, updating my website or LinkedIn, or journaling plans and goals for myself. 

What makes your book stand out from the rest? 

I believe that Shape of the Sun is different because of how meta it is. The book is inspired by how fiction canon traditionally does not express male leads in an unflattering manner, and going further, how some actually have male leads that do terrible things but put in major efforts to compensate for it, which could come off as whitewashing in realtime. Raj, SOTS’ male lead really is that central character that is by no means misunderstood and is particularly consciously unreliable. There is also meta-fictional commentary on whether romance can really wipe out negativity as well as the effect of family neglect and performative masculinity. So aside from the honest lead angle, its also a book where everyone is rich and actively carrying out that privilege even if in the wrong manner. In that way, we have a good view at the rot that might come with wealth, and the struggle is less of fighting against the system and more of fighting against oneself to thrive or not to thrive within the system. 

Can you give us the very first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?

This is not the first page but it carries a heavy weight in the book: 

Even though he was losing, he didn't want to be lost. 

Rajkumar was most scared of being alone where no one could find him. 

He wanted to be held close when he was drifting as Amma did in the morning. The warmth of her body had given him peace, enough to meet the elusive sleep. He wanted some of that warmth and now more than ever, after seeing that face he so desperately hated. 

Rajkumar gathered himself together and gingerly came down from the bed, delicate feet touching the cold, tiled floor, a hand anchoring sleeves to wipe the mess on his face while the other clutched a pillow behind. 

He couldn't be by himself for himself. 

Soon enough, he was walking across the dark, silent hallway, and at that moment, Rajkumar realized how small he was, how tiny his frame held up against that of the space around it. Rajkumar wondered if his problem was as small too, a tiny speck of dust amongst many. Perhaps, he was a small fry in a big pond. Perhaps, he should man up and stop making a fuss. 

But the memory of that painful night drove him right back into the arms of apparent hypocrisy. He couldn't be by himself for himself. 

The path to his parents' room meant passing through Priyanka's. She had come from their aunt's yesterday, he knew, but hadn't come to see him then or even before leaving for school this morning. Rajkumar's hand applied more strength to the pillow, a bid to distract from the billowing wind in his temple, their sails clouding his vision as he pressed his ear to the paneled door. 

Whoosh. Whoosh. 

The sails went past, leaving him behind. 

Rajkumar wanted to ask Priyanka if she left him behind too. Or was it that she already knew? Did she see it like he did, the filth he now was? Could she smell it from afar, the stench making her nauseous, like it did to him? He felt sick of himself but couldn't even throw up. 

Perhaps, his sister had beat him to it - and he didn't blame her. Rajkumar's heart only ached, reflecting in the tears welling up in his eyes, cursing Eloise for making him a pariah to the ones that had loved him so much. 

Rajkumar didn't dare step in and ask Priyanka. He knew that she was suffering as much as he was. He could only pray in his heart that she'd not forget him so soon. 

"Elder sister...." His whisper scattered in the wind passing through the hallway. 

Priyanka wasn't here to turn around and yell at him to stop chasing, then again to pace her. She wouldn't grumble about how ridiculously tall he was. Couldn't, more like. 

There was no more sneaking chocolates into his room when he was ill and pretending that she didn't care. 

He had forgotten. He should keep doing so. 

The ten-year-old backed up from the door, silently sobbing, his fingers pressed to his eyes, tears spilling onto his blue shirt and the dark tiled floor, hoping that his message reached his elder sister, full of sorrow for this short-lived bond. He was grateful beyond words. Filth was deserving. Filth could only go where it had no choice but to be accepted, albeit grudgingly. Filth was ever-grateful. Filth was forever moving forward, even if alone, even if against its will. 

Soon enough though, Rajkumar would learn a spin to that thought. 

Filth moved forward, unhinged and off the rails so that when it needed to stop, it couldn't and fell deeper into the shit, the murky cesspool that it had only been at the fringes of, to be or not to be.

It crashed and burned harder. It did so alone. 

If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why? 

I think it would be Christmas, because its sweet and its grounded in the warmth of family and daily living, but its also cold and can also get rough. There is a lot of preparation that the main characters have to do in their lives over the series of events in the book.

Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already been done? 

No, I do not think I will turn the book into a series. Though, I have been getting soem reviews asking for a sequel. So, it is definitely something I will think over. 

When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or full-time profession? 

Not really, I just happened to start writing at fourteen by chance, because I was in a boarding school in Nigeria and there were no electronic devices allowed. So I was bored and decided to write for fun, and got feedback that it was really good. Summarily, I had never actively thought of writing as a career, but if I happen to write a book that generates the level of early retirement worthy income, that would be great. 

What’s next on your to do list? 

I am currently reworking some completed works that are saved on my devices, as well as just overall going to school, being a student, and applying to grad schools.

Paula Onohi Omokhomion's latest book is Shape of the Sun.