Q&A
Story & Inspiration
Q: What inspired Shattered But Not Silenced?
A: I wanted to explore how under an authoritarian regime, ordinary people may be targeted for reform or eradication. Maya’s story is deeply personal, about trauma, resilience, and reclaiming her voice. I wanted to tell her story from her perspective to immerse the reader in how she experiences the world.
Q: Why tell this story through a neurodivergent lens?
A: Maya is among those designated for reform. It made sense for her to narrate her own story. The story isn’t about autism. Autism is the lens that lets readers experience Maya’s sensory processing and coping strategies.
Character & Perspective
Q: Maya doesn’t fit typical “inspirational autistic character” tropes. Why?
A: Because real autistic people don’t exist to teach lessons to others. Maya is nuanced, sometimes exhausted, sometimes ironic, sometimes quietly defiant. I wanted readers to live inside her experience, not be taught about it.
Q: How does Maya’s art function in the story?
A: Her sketches are both witness and weapon. They document abuse, resist control, and assert agency when she has no other options. They’re grounded, realistic, and deeply personal.
Q: How do you balance Maya’s interiority with plot tension?
A: By showing her observations, reflections, and choices in real time. The stakes , both institutional and personal, remain high, but the narrative is filtered through her perspective. She’s funny, sarcastic, scared, and insightful.
World & Themes
Q: The New Thought Center feels brutal and realistic. How did you envision it?
A: I wanted to create a system that mirrored real-world bureaucratic oppression: punishment, deprivation, compliance framed as rehabilitation but seen through the eyes of someone experiencing it. The focus is on Maya’s survival and she adapts.
Q: What themes are central to the novel?
A: Survival, resilience, identity, agency, trauma, institutional power, marginalization, and the quiet ways people resist.
Q: How does your book differ from TV shows or films with autistic characters?
A: Many shows present autism as a lesson for others. Every autistic person is an individual, and there is no single lesson that explains ASD. My story doesn’t try. Shattered But Not Silenced uses Maya’s perspective to explore survival, resistance, and identity. Her neurodivergence shapes how she experiences the world, but the story is about her life and choices, not her diagnosis.
Audience & Impact
Q: What do you hope readers take away from Maya’s story?
A: That resistance can be quiet, survival is complex, and people endure more than we often realize. I want readers to feel Maya’s interior world and reflect on power, choice, and moral courage.
Q: Who is this book for?
A: Readers who enjoy dystopian fiction, character-driven stories, psychological tension, and thoughtful exploration of social systems. It’s ideal for book clubs because it sparks conversation about morality, resilience, and identity.
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