The inspiration for my novella Why Aurora Ran came from an interest in controlling family relationships and the codependent behavior that often accompanies them. Having encountered some of those dynamics myself, I wanted to explore how families can create environments where conflict attracts attention while independence goes largely unnoticed. Rather than write about personal experiences, I chose to examine these behaviors through fiction, using mystery, humor, and characters with complicated...

I have never entirely trusted ordinary objects. I don't mean this in a haunted-doll, possessed-toaster way, because that would at least be simple. You could call the right professional, salt something, burn something else, and avoid buying antiques from shops where the owner leans in and whispers that it belonged to her grandmother.

What worries me is different. I mean objects that seem to have accumulated opinions over time. Some chairs clearly resent being sat upon, and some lamps light a...