Interview with Mary E. Twomey, Author of Sins of the Father

What can you tell us about your new release, Sins of the Father?

It was inspired by watching Ava DuVernay’s “Thirteenth” documentary, which explored the loophole in the Thirteenth amendment, which allows for legalized slavery in the prison system.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I live mostly in my head, so fiction is a perfect fit for me.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

I mean, all the Harry Potter books, obviously. I re-read “The Art of War” every year. “The Essential Confucius”. Simon Sinek’s “Infinite Game”. I’m in the middle of reading “Midnight Sun”, because of course I am.

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

If JK Rowling and I were in the same room together, it would be the most boring interview ever, because I would just sit there and sob like the fangirl I am, and she would awkwardly look at the camera and wonder if she was being pranked.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

Creating new worlds. Solving real world problems with fiction.

What is a typical day like for you?

My three littles are doing virtual learning right now, so my day is filled with e-learning chaos. I write before they get up, then whenever I snatch a few minutes throughout the day. Then I write again at night, after they go to sleep. But mostly, my days are filled with my children.

What scene from Sins of the Father was your favorite to write?

When Adeline is in prison and has to sew the bras she modeled while she was a free woman, that scene is particularly powerful to me. When she realizes the slavery and strife that goes into the brand she promoted, that was a scene I’m most proud of.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

All I can do is all I can do.” It’s simple, but in the middle of a pandemic, it holds true.

Mary E. Twomey is the author of the new book Sins of the Father.

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