We’re excited to announce another launch that is quickly approaching! We’re helping Emily Myers launch her book, The Truth About Unspeakable Things, into the world. Today, we’re bringing you an interview with the author behind this book, which is a unique of romance, suspense, and emotional storytelling.
Emily A. Myers is a women’s fiction author and blogger living in Louisiana. Her fiction works seek to bring women’s issues to the forefront through realistic, flawed protagonists and authentic relationships. Emily also dedicates time to her blog which seeks to provide aspiring authors with the tools and advice they need to make their passion into a profession. Her debut novel, The Truth About Unspeakable Things, sets the tone for Emily’s future works as it follows a young woman’s journey through the dangerous pitfalls of adult relationships and the complexities of growing up. We’re excited to share our interview with you today!
Please tell us a little about you:
I first fell in love with writing and reading in middle school. I’ve never understood how or why my brain works the way it does, especially not back then. But I remember writing this paranormal romance short story that was based during the Civil War in the 8th grade. Everyone was blown away by it. Their enthusiasm made me feel good and I believe that is when I truly fell in love with storytelling. By the time I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to pursue my writing professionally. But the sensible side of me kicked me and led me down the more stable path of teaching. I put my dream on hold to build a stable life for myself. But I soon learned that stability and certainty is just an illusion.
My dad was diagnosed with Stage 3 Lung Cancer shortly after I began teaching. He passed away after a year and a half battle with the disease. His diagnosis and his passing were a shock to all of us, because he was young and otherwise healthy. Losing him pushed me to go after my dream not in twenty or thirty years, but now. Because those twenty or thirty years aren’t guaranteed. I left teaching a few months after he passed and have spent the last two and a half years trying to find my niche in this incredibly vast industry. With The Truth About Unspeakable Things, I feel I’ve written something I can be proud of. And, I feel, I’ve found my niche in the romantic suspense world.
Please tell us a little about your book:
The Truth About Unspeakable Things is a Women’s Fiction novel that follows a sexual assault survivor on her journey to love again. It pushes the bounds of empathy and forgiveness and presents a valid, if not, challenging dialogue around accountability. From that statement alone you might be wondering, okay, how is this romantic suspense? Set in historic and mysterious New Orleans, Emma Marshall’s journey is filled with danger, drama, suspense, and secrets. What makes Emma’s story different from other survivor stories is the external conflict. Many survivor stories focus on the internal conflict following the traumatic event. I do explore those emotions in The Truth About Unspeakable Things, but the story is more than that. It is filled with even more unspeakable truths that Emma must discover and reconcile. Ultimately, Emma must risk everything to protect her newfound happiness, even if it means hurting the ones she loves.
Who is this book for?
Women’s Fiction novels follow female protagonists through conflict directly related to the female experience. This simple definition means the genre of Women’s Fiction can and does encompass a variety of titles with many different sub-genres. That is why I often describe The Truth About Unspeakable Things as a romantic suspense novel, because the elements of romance and suspense are prevalent enough that readers who aren’t interested in romance, suspense, and the external conflict that creates that suspense, will probably not enjoy this novel. Similarly, those who love romance and thriller-like qualities, and aren’t discouraged by hard-hitting topics such as sexual assault and self-harm will enjoy The Truth About Unspeakable Things. Readers should be advised to review the trigger warnings before reading: sexual assault (depicted), self-harm (implied), abortion (off-page/ discussed).
Why did you write the book?
I struggled for over a year with the idea of perfection. I knew it didn’t exist, not in literary form or any other form. Yet, I still strove to attain it. I allowed my head to be filled with the harshest criticism. I imagined querying agents and having them stop reading after only a few sentences. I put so much pressure on myself to beat the odds and write a book that was worthy of a traditional book deal. Until I became so overwhelmed, I stopped writing altogether. The Truth About Unspeakable Things is the result of me casting aside the shackles of perfection, embracing self-publishing, and just writing. I don’t remember exactly how the idea first came to me. I do remember spending a month outlining the would-be novel only for 80% of my outline to go out the window within writing the first three paragraphs of what is now The Truth About Unspeakable Things.
I allowed the story to flow and the characters to develop in their own unique way. I wrote this novel because I thought it would be good, not great, not perfect, but good. I wrote this novel knowing it wouldn’t be my last. And, in fact, if Stephen King is to be believed, knowing it would be my worst. When I accepted that and truly just embraced the writing process, I was able to create a story that is more than I ever imagined it being. So, in sum, I started writing it because I thought I had a good idea, and a good idea is better than no idea. I continued writing it, because it demanded to be written. The way the story developed on its own, it felt like a story I had inside of me for years. Yet, I can honestly say I didn’t. It didn’t come to me until I sat down to write. That’s what is most exciting to me. I don’t even know the stories I will tell in the future, but I know there will be more. And, like The Truth About Unspeakable Things, they will be more than I can even imagine in this moment.
What is YOUR favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of the book is probably Chapter 31. I can’t explain why this is my favorite chapter without giving too much away. But there is a moment in this chapter that really tugs at my heart. In fact, it broke my heart when I wrote it. Early in the book, an idea is presented: “We’re always one choice, one day away from a completely different life.” In Chapter 31, I feel like this idea comes full circle in more ways than one. I have empathy for the person who doesn’t see a way out of the Hell that is their life. I am proud of the person who does and who chooses to not let their pain destroy them.
When did you start writing books?
I wrote my first novel, Beyond the Scars, when I was 17. It was an experiment of sorts to see if I physically could write a novel before dedicating four years to earning a degree in English. It ended up being about 55,000 words. I went through the querying process and got my first taste of rejection. I’ve come a long way since then. But that was the beginning of me going after my dream, proving to myself I could do it. Over the years, I’ve revisited that novel several times. I plan to revisit it again one day and yes, publish it. That will be a big moment for me, to finally publish the novel that started it all.
Do you have any other books? Where can they be found?
I do not have any other books out right now, but I will begin writing my next book very soon.
Where is the best place for readers to connect with you?
You can follow me on Instagram and Facebook @emilymyersauthor to keep up with me as I write my next novel. You can also subscribe to my email list, so you don’t miss out on any bonus content related to The Truth About Unspeakable Things. I’ll also be sharing early content for my next novel with my email list for feedback. So, if you’d like to be involved with that process, again, be sure to subscribe to my email list. You can subscribe either through my website www.emilyamyers.com or through the link in my Instagram bio.
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