We chat with debut author Khalia Moreau about The Princess of Thornwood Drive, which follows two sisters who are trapped on opposite sides of reality in this entrancing and deeply moving novel that weaves together a contemporary narrative with a parallel fantasy world.
Hi, Khalia! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure! I was born in Brooklyn to a Trinidadian mother and a Grenadian father. Writing is my passion but so is science. As such, when I’m not writing, I can usually be found in the hospital–I just started my residency. Aside from those two things, which take up most of my time, I enjoy traveling, snuggling up with my cats, going on adventures with my husband, reading, and watching anime.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My mother loves to write poetry, and both she and my father love to read! When I was growing up, they’d always read to me or tell me stories. Then, when I moved to Trinidad and started primary school, composition was a separate subject that we were tested on. I remember having so much fun writing different stories for class. It’s incredible to see how it all started as something I did for school and turned into so much more.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Black Beauty
- The one that made you want to become an author: I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee Wilson
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: There are so many, but the most recent one living rent-free in my head is Moth by Amber McBride.
Your debut novel, The Princess of Thornwood Drive, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
If I had to sum up the book in five words, they would be:
- Sisters
- Multiverse
- Loss
- Love
- Hope
What can readers expect?
Hopefully, something unique/ different when it comes to stories that tackle sensitive issues. I say this because each sister’s narrative is characterized by a different genre–Laine’s is contemporary while Alyssa’s is fantasy. However, at their core, the stories the sisters tell are the same. Both sisters also come to the same conclusion at the novel’s end, which is that while it might not always feel like it, there is always light in the darkness.
Where did the inspiration for The Princess of Thornwood Drive come from?
I met and interacted with people from different walks of life while working as a medical scribe years ago. Some of the things I saw and heard back then made me acutely aware that not everyone can advocate for themselves. And not everyone unable to advocate for their health has someone willing to do it on their behalf. It also so happened that around the time I was coming to this realization, one of my cousins had a life-altering injury that rendered her in a vegetative state. The doctors made it clear what that meant, but my family has always believed in the existence of the soul as much as the brain. As my mother posed it to me, who’s to say my cousin’s soul isn’t reaching out to us? Communicating in its own way? Not long after that, I started writing The Princess of Thornwood Drive.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
It would definitely be my two main characters, Laine and Alyssa. Before crafting a plot, I thought about the foods they liked, foods they hated… their personalities. A lot of the details I actually jotted down aren’t actually outright stated in the novel, but it shines through in the way they act and handle situations. Something I’ve also never shared with anyone–when I finished writing the novel, I cried. I spent more than a year creating these two characters in my head. When I finished my last round of revisions, it felt like I was saying goodbye (a sweet goodbye but goodbye nonetheless) to my own flesh and blood.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
If I’m being honest, it was rough. While this is my first novel that will be available to the public, it’s not my first book. I wrote a YA dystopian fantasy long before this novel. I queried it for three years before ultimately deciding to shelve it. The issue with that novel was, in part, that I needed to work on my craft. However, even after doing that and getting more interest in Princess, there still weren’t many bites. After more than sixty rejections, I shelved Princess, too. Fast-forward a year later, I happened to see that Forever had open submissions. I submitted my manuscript on a whim, thinking that there was no way in hell I’d get anything other than a rejection with some feedback. Instead, I was on a phone call with my now amazing editor two weeks later.
Sidenote: During all this, I had been querying my third novel and had gotten some interest from several agents. Ultimately, I accepted an offer from the wonderful Lucienne Diver at the Knight Agency. Her passion for not just Princess but my third novel proved her to be the best advocate for my work. Undoubtedly, the road to becoming a published author (self or traditional) differs for everyone. You can’t compare yourself to others in this field!
What’s next for you?
I’m working on a supernatural thriller that’s based on a creature in Trinidadian folklore! I won’t lie. It’s been a process juggling that and my work as a resident doctor, but I have a good feeling about this story just like I had with Princess!
Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases that you’re looking forward to?
So many! Some of them are To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, A Crane Among Wolves, Where Sleeping Girls Lie, and The Dividing Sky
