In Silence follows a woman who survives a brutal assault tied to a dangerous mission as she tries to rebuild her life and overcome her pain. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Honestly, when I first wrote it, I couldn’t tell you. Now, I think it was inspired by how I felt alone in my silence when I was going through a tough time. I subconsciously wrote a book where someone was there for Zara in a way I never got to experience. That, and I was curious about the concept of it being so cold you didn’t bleed out.

Zara withholds parts of herself even from people who care about her. What drew you to that kind of emotional guardedness?

Personal experience. I grew up thinking crying was a weakness, and physical affection was a vulnerability. I thought I was tough because I never learned to lean, and in the end, I made it harder for myself and everyone around me.

How did you approach writing the “before and after” divide in Zara’s life?

I essentially imagined Zara in a mission-focused space where she was a soldier first, and then in a mission-oriented space where she was recovering as the mission directed, and then in a family-oriented space where she was learning that it was okay to be more than the mission.

Can we look forward to more work from you soon?

Yeah, actually, I’m writing a sequel that follows Artemis, Zara’s teammate’s, POV. I don’t have a solid plan on when it’ll be out, though.

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