The Truth on 'The Winds of Truth'

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The Truth on The Winds of Truth

By Matea Houle ‘24

 

Lillian Shapona, or Lilly Mae, is a sophomore at Mercy with her very first original book being published this December. I’m sure we’ve all seen her posters around campus, but what is the book about? I interviewed Lilly to ask her why and get the details on her big accomplishment. 

About the book

I started off with the basics. I asked Lilly to tell us about the audience, the plot, or any messages within the book. She told us it was a middle-grade fantasy-adventure story. “It’s pretty fun, lots of swords and magic,” she says. “You get to see the character development of the female protagonist. She learns to fend for herself instead of depending on men.” Sounds like a girlboss moment to me. 

 

Inspirations during the writing process

As mentioned in our Mercy TV video last Friday, Lilly faced much rejection as a young author. She told me how “her friends thought it was funny and her teachers thought she was too young.” Lilly has been rejected by publishers a total of 27 times during her publishing process. 


As for inspirations, she would first and foremost like to give a shoutout to her mom, who has been a big support for her. And additionally to Christopher Healy, who inspired her along the way. 


Working with a publisher

I was curious about the experience of working with a publisher or a publishing agency, and Lilly described it as “lots of emails, a very long process.” She describes how she and her publisher had been going back and forth for about a year about “contracts and stuff. But he was very supportive!”


Closing words of advice

As any good interview should end, Lilly gave some words of wisdom to young people and young authors. She said to “follow your dreams, don’t give up.” Lilly placed a big emphasis on making your writing your own and not conforming to story stereotypes. She also said to try not to overly idolize figures in your life. “I emailed a lot of authors and professors at Stanford and was discouraged by them,” she says. “Be your own motivator!”



The Winds of Truth by Lilly Mae ‘24 is available for preorder at acutebydesign.com and will be released this December. 


Credits

Written By: Matea Houle ‘24

Edited By: Editor name (will add it while proofreading)

Cover Photo from Lillian Shapona ‘24

 

Mercy Media Edition 3

November 11th, 2021

mercymedia@mercyhsb.com

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