Tiare M.B.C.: Where Nightmares Meet Reality

Tiare released her first novel this past February titled Can Demons Dream Of…, a collection of 11 short stories based off of her real nightmares. Her book features artwork by herself, her husband, Kevyn Mendoza, and friends, Hiram Maldonado and Cynthia Raya. If the cover is any indication for the level of style of the interior artwork, I know everyone is in for a treat! I was lucky enough to chat with Tiare about writing her first novel and the advice that she would give to someone wanting to take the plunge for themselves.

Q: Who has been your biggest supporter(s) throughout your writing career?

A: I have had a lot of supporters throughout the writing process. This includes my co-workers, students, friends, and family. Probably my biggest supporters were my husband, my parents, and my sister. My parents and sister were the ones to tell me to follow my dream of becoming a writer and they got to hear about all of my wonderful nightmares. My husband was the one that didn’t allow me to give up on my dream. He kept encouraging me and helped me figure out the process of writing and publishing a book.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration from in your work?

A: For my release, Can Demons Dream Of…, my dreams were my inspiration. I have had nightmares since I was a little kid. Now I know that these nightmares stem from depression and anxiety, but at least something good came out of them for this book.

Q: What does it mean to you to be an author?

A: I think being an author means getting your ideas out there for people to see. It means opening yourself up for people to see what is going on inside your mind and your thought process.

Q: What is your writing process like? Do you listen to certain music, snack, make loads of phone notes when inspiration randomly strikes, etc.?

A: I like to talk about my ideas for stories with someone before trying to write them down. Usually, that someone is my husband. I prefer to write in one sitting, which works well for short stories. I had to learn to not rush the editing process and that it takes way longer to edit than to actually write the story. For editing, I do take snack breaks or to do some painting/drawing. Sometimes, it takes days to get back to editing because I start reading a book.

Q: Is there a genre or subgenre that you want to explore that you haven’t yet? Conversely, are there any that you’ll never write?

A: I would like to go into adventure. I have an idea for an actual novel, but I have lots of research to do. I won’t say never, but it is unlikely that I would write a sci-fi or romance novel. I do like sci-fi, but I have no idea how to go about it. As for romance, I have never been big on it, or at least not as a main focus. I knew when I started writing that I wanted to write a book in which romance did not take priority.

Q: What has been the hardest part of your career as an author so far?

A: I think it was realizing that my stories were worth writing, but I have to thank all the people who keep encouraging me to write my stories for that realization. But besides that, the editing. I never thought there would be so much editing. It still makes me question my writing skills.

Q: What do you consider to be your greatest strength and weakness as an author?

A: I know that stubbornness is usually seen as a negative thing, but I am pretty sure that is what kept me going. Even so, my biggest strength is my support group. My family and my husband have been there for me since day one and continue to help me even after publishing my first book. I still have lots to learn; at the moment, I have no idea how to even promote my book. As for my weakness, I suck at spelling and grammar. Having people help me with editing has been great.

Q: Who is on your radar as someone you’d love to work with?

A: I would love to work with Jodi Picoult. She may not be a horror writer, but she is one of my biggest inspirations. I love her style and I feel it would be interesting to blend her writing with mine. However, I highly doubt this would happen. Lisa See would be another amazing person to work with. The idea of a collab making a horror historical fiction book would be awesome.

Q: At some point in our lives, we’ve all heard the negative comments: “You’re not good enough.” “You’ll never make it.” “This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen.” “You don’t belong.” How do you move forward when faced with negativity?

A: Instead of listening to those people, I listened to the ones that told me that I could do it. Usually, negative comments come from those that want to put you down. If anything, I keep pursuing my goal to become a writer just to show them that they were wrong.

Q: What advice would you give to women who want to write, especially if it’s something other might perceive as “outside of the norm”?

A: Go for it! Show the world that you can do it. Even when you feel like giving up, remember that if nothing else, keep going to prove people wrong. Be the example for girls who want to pursue their dreams. Be the outline that shows people that anything is possible.

Tiare is anticipating a second release once she’s finished seeking her master’s degree. While you wait, follow her on Instagram, give her collection, Can Demons Dream Of…, a read, or check out Tiare’s recommendations: The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas and The Road by Cormac McCarthy.