Charlie & Ink follows a teenage girl escaping an abusive home and finding unexpected friendship, healing, and a sense of belonging in an unconventional desert community. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Charlie’s story mirrors my own in some ways. Like Charlie, I left home while still in my teens. I took a bus to New York City, where I found myself homeless and struggling to survive. Those experiences became the foundation of a memoir published by Simon & Schuster BFYR called, Smile for the Camera. With Charlie & Ink, I return to themes of survival, self-discovery, and the power of unconditional love.

Slab City facinates me for all the reasons I describe in Charlie & Ink. I live ninety-minutes from there, so I know all about triple-digit summers!

Ink was inspired by a fledgling crow who grew up behind my house. She left the nest early, as fledlings do, but she couldn’t fly yet. So, for two weeks I barely slept. Coyotes, hawks, and owls, were always on the hunt. Her hypervigilant, best-ever parents were fierce protectors, and they soon realized I was their friend, not foe. They took charge of my patio railing, my blue bird’s stone bath, and my little table where I began leaving peanuts out for them. Ink was adorable, hopping around, begging her mom for shelled peanuts with her pink and orange mouth. And those pale blue eyes of hers we’re beyond compare. How could I not fall in love? Like Charlie says, “I am putty in her claw.”   

How did the story change as you developed the relationships between Charlie, Leo, Rita, and the other residents?

It didn’t so much change as much as my love for them deepened. They all come from someone in my life, so they are very real to me.

What interested you about the idea of family formed through friendship rather than biology?

Family comes in many forms. 

I have a friend; someone I met while homeless. We were good girls living on Manhattan’s mean streets. It was a frightning time, and we relied on each other to survive.

I don’t know what I would have done without her.

We’re still best friends.

Family formed through friendship is a wonderful thing.

If readers remember one thing about Charlie & Ink, what would you like it to be?

That healing does not require erasing the broken parts. Love, kindness, and connection are the gold that fills the cracks.

Author Website: https://charlieandink.com/