Just Fame got a chance to interview Shad’e Zuiweta in regard to her book ‘Submerged Within Shadows‘. We got insights into her book, her source of inspiration and much more!
Q. Welcome to Just Fame! Your novel delves deeply into the psyche of a young girl growing up in poverty and facing relentless bullying. Can you share what inspired you to write about such themes?
When I was a little girl, I didn’t grow up in a good neighborhood living in Memphis, Tennessee. My brother and I attended horrible schools, fighting our way through each school year. Moving around a lot, my father worked extremely hard non-stop to put us into a better neighborhood, but by the time I was well into my teens. I always said to myself that when I grow up, I’m going to work very hard and make it out of Tennessee and I did. Throughout my childhood, I hated going to school because of bullies, living with a family member to attend a better school, and being home schooled when I became fed up and started fighting. Thus, I chose Mallory as the character to depict here. Not many people have endured this situation. I am trying to show that regardless of how little you have, you should be thankful for what you do have, and that parents should take the time to listen to their children. It can have a profound impact.
Q. Mallory’s journey through trauma, schizophrenia, and her quest for normalcy is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. How much of Mallory’s character and experiences are drawn from real-life observations?
Only poverty, bullying, and her guardians’ unwillingness to listen to Mallory’s concerns and confide in her. What she suffers alone in the dark with is neglected and dismissed by them. These are all cries for help, and as a result, she begins to form the guardian she wished she had in them. A guardian that takes care of business in the darkest ways. When a person treats someone negatively and similarly as the last person did, it can only reopen or deepen their wounds, making it much harder for them to trust or worse, become something sinister. These are things that happen on a daily in people’s lives. It is imperative to understand when people are suffering, to help them, not add to the problem. We must also remember that our actions have consequences too which is something Mallory must learn.
Q. Your book has garnered significant recognition, including praise from Publishers Weekly Magazine. How does this recognition affect your approach to writing, and what does it mean to you personally and professionally?
Oh My God! Those were the first words out of my mouth. It was a huge deal for me. I wanted to cry. Why? Well, when I released my first book, A Daughter Betrayed, I was so heart broken and hurt that year of release from people who were supposed to be family to me from a situation that occurred. I wrote that book without really putting much effort and editing into it. It was when I separated myself from those people, worked on me and focused honing my craft and taking my time more that I got the recognition I was looking for. Getting such a high rating from Publishers Weekly makes me want to keep pushing forward when I know I’m almost at the finish line.
Q. Do you have any specific writing rituals or habits that help you get into the creative zone? Can you share some insights into your writing process?
There isn’t a specific ritual for me. I’m always writing in the morning, the afternoon, and I stay up late writing while the hubby and kiddos are in bed. Some nights I may be past 12 a.m. writing, but I am trying to get myself into a routine of shutting the laptop down before then. A lady need’s her beauty sleep of course.
Q. Any tips or advice for aspiring authors?
Never stop writing! There will be rejections along the way but never stop writing. Get yourself more than three editors if you are self-published. Your eyes are never enough. I see Authors all the time talking about it isn’t within their budget or that it is too expensive, but it’s called investing in yourself and your work. Not everyone is going to believe in your book because you aren’t some big established Author, and that’s okay as long as you are believing in you and your book. Nothing else matters.
Q. Lastly, as we ask all our guests on our platform, do you have any closing thoughts that you would like to share with the world and our readers?
Not at all but that you guys need to get this dark & twisted book being released on June 19th, on Amazon and all other stores. Stay tuned for the second installment to know what happens on Mallory’s journey and if she goes to trial.
About the Author: Shad’e Zuiweta is an American Author born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee who attributes her love of storytelling through her world of imagination and experiences. Her writing journey started young, when at the age of five, she was admitted to the hospital due to epilepsy. Confined for some time to the hospital, during the duration of her stay, her escape was through reading and writing stories that came knocking at her brain. Every story she wrote, she penned in a red journal her father gave her in which he motivated her to never stop writing. She published her first book in 2018 in which sold many copies, shortly after landing an acting agent, and relocating several states away from her hometown that led her into the world of acting. Shad’e is a devoted wife and mother. Writing in the morning, evening and at night is an everyday routine for her between her busy lifestyle. Its something she has become accustomed to. She graduated with an ASGS, AS in Pharmacology, B.A. in Healthcare Management, and in Elementary Education. She is influenced by Toni Morrison, Stephen King, Alice Sebold. When she’s not immersed in the world of writing thrillers, you’ll find her nursing patients to health, rushing to turn in monologues and on set, at a lake, the local library she calls her second home, binging true crime documentaries, with her family, or indulged in her young rottweiler’s playful chaos. Shad’e hopes to share her unique perspective through her writing and imaginative world building.
For updates about her book, visit her official website: www.shadezuiweta.com
