People who are willing to think, learn and grow from reading are my target readers. I don’t write easy books to read, or so I’m told by people who prefer books that don’t involve a lot of work on the reader’s part. I want to cause emotion, maybe even discomfort or at least disequilibrium, in my readers.
Maureen Morrissey – 11 October 2025
The Back Flap
Mary Christina Barnes is an ordinary small-city Midwestern girl except for one thing: she was born with the uncanny power to feel the emotions of others and hear their thoughts.
Her deeply religious mother sees her psychic gift as a sinister force. Haunted by her mother’s conviction that she is evil, the young woman embarks on a tumultuous journey to understand her gift and use it for good. While her compassionate side aids the police in finding missing children, a darker side threatens to consume her. All she wants is a normal life, but she finds herself having to fight for it.
Her work with the police leads to some unexpected attention and makes this reluctant psychic a target for both those who want her help and those who want to stop her. Seeing is Believing is an evocative tale that explores the complexities of identity, acceptance, and the delicate balance between good and evil.
Will Mary Christina succumb to the pressures around her or rise above them, embracing her unique gifts to forge a path uniquely her own?
About the book
When did you start writing the book?
I began writing Seeing is Believing in 2022.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took about a year to get the first draft done.
Where did you get the idea from?
I’ve always been fascinated by things I can’t explain. I have some friends and family members who have uncanny abilities and have had some experiences myself with mysterious occurrences. I wanted to explore how one would deal with being able to do things not considered normal in the context of a fairly everyday world and community and family. Mary Christina does not want to be different, and she does not know how to manage it. I also love “story” and people’s personal journeys, and this book explores that very deeply.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Is anything worth writing if it’s too easy? I needed to put a lot of different people in Mary Christina’s way in order for her to find herself. One in particular led to her biggest challenge and involved a court case (trying not to spoil here). I’m not a lawyer and it took research and interviews with lawyers and police officers to make it feasible. Also, Mary Christina herself didn’t always cooperate with my plan for her, and I had to follow her lead instead. A lot.
What came easily?
I find describing scenes not “easy” but fun and an enjoyable part of storytelling. I see my writing in my head as a movie and am able to give that to my readers as well.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
In Seeing is Believing, the characters are fictitious in general, but some of their characteristics are based on people I’ve come across in my life. This is the first book I’ve written where the characters are not loosely based on people I know. It was interesting to write that way.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I attended schools in NYC where literature was very important and the classics we read in the 1970’s were personally impactful. As a writer, though, I’d say my mentors for storytelling were Stephen King, Amy Tan, Tom Robbins and Roald Dahl. Each, in their unique way, is a master at getting buy-in from readers through engagement. Stephen King uses description and pacing to keep readers guessing what could happen and wondering if it could happen to them. Amy Tan uses dialogue and character interactions to bring the reader into the lives of her characters and truly care about them. Tom Robbins turns the world upside down and takes the reader along, challenging your beliefs and understanding about the human race. Roald Dahl, well, there is no one better at doing all of the above for the most discerning and critical audiences, children and teachers.
Do you have a target reader?
People who are willing to think, learn and grow from reading are my target readers. I don’t write easy books to read, or so I’m told by people who prefer books that don’t involve a lot of work on the reader’s part. I want to cause emotion, maybe even discomfort or at least disequilibrium, in my readers.
I sometimes feel like a throwback to the era before workshopping homogenized things. If you read literature from before the 1950’s, you’d realize most of the work would not pass muster in the traditional publishing world today and would have to be indie published. We now call that literary fiction, and I want my readers to be those who enjoy examining the work of a writer who is a true artist, just like going to a museum or art exhibition.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I spend mornings writing and researching. I like to be done by around one o’clock so I can do other things like gardening or hiking or reading. I am an avid runner so I fit a run in during the mornings; I find it helps me focus and when I can get in the zone, I come up with a lot of great ideas for my writing while I run.
I consider myself a pantser with plotter leanings, meaning things just come to me and I write them down at first. But as things progress, I begin outlining or using timelines.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
As I said above, I begin my outlines once the basics of the story are worked out. For example, I’m 28,000 words into a new novel and still haven’t started outlining or putting together a timeline. But I’m at the point in the narrative where it needs to happen so I have less to do later in revising to make the story work.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I do both. As I reread, I catch things and fix them. When I’m done with the first draft, I put a lot of effort into revisions and catch more things that need fixing. When I’m almost done, I focus all my effort on editing.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I don’t hire someone to edit my work, but I have Beta readers whose main job is to check the content and they will let me know if they catch grammar or spelling errors. I use strategies like the read aloud feature and the word editor feature and catch a lot that way.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I like silence while I write. Any noise can distract me. And I distract easily.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I tried that years ago, when literary agents were a new thing. I could not get an agent to give me the time of day and became frustrated, especially when I saw the quality of some of the work that was getting published. I write several different genres, including children’s lit, and when Walter the Farting Dog hit the stores, I knew my deeper quality work was not going to be considered “pop” or “commercial”, so I went indie and became my own small publishing company with one client, me.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
It was gradual, because I’m an optimist and believe my work is worthy of an audience. Over time, I realized that traditional publishing was not for me and went indie. What I learned was that publishers are only interested in what sells since they are a business and their bottom line is their guide. I write more literary fiction that doesn’t always follow rules, and I don’t want someone to tell me how to write.
I knew I’d made the right choice after attending an event where authors shared their journeys and one said her editor told her the main character in her novel was too dark and she had to rework him. I asked if she liked her version better and she said, “It’s their book, not mine. I do what they tell me.” No, thanks!
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I did it myself using Canva software. I engaged other readers to weigh in on the options, as there were so many designs I liked.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I’m not a businessperson, more of a “throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks” marketer. I am tech savvy and have some money set aside so I do all the social media and buy ad space on Facebook and Amazon during peak selling seasons like holidays and summer reading. I find selling my books at coffee shops or at author events where I can engage readers works best for me.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Buckle up! It’s a wild ride and, unless you’re a businessperson, marketer, designer, techie, editor and writer all rolled up into one, you’re going to need to spend time and money on getting help with all the above. My main advice is do the work of writing something great and then be ready to flip the script and be a publisher. I find it tedious, challenging and not nearly as fun as the writing part; but I know my work is worth the effort and I want people to read it!
Other advice:
*Don’t take reviews personally. Just like going to a museum, some people will love your work, and others won’t get it at all. When you put yourself out there, that’s what happens.
*Ask, but don’t expect family and friends to step up to Beta read or give feedback. You’re likely to be let down, even by your closest people, unless you’re really lucky. Find a community of other writers and readers to do that for you. Many writers will exchange manuscripts for free Beta reading feedback.
*Put stuff out to indie publishers and contests and online magazines but DON’T fall for scams where you have to pay money for reviews. Find community to ask questions of what is a legit use of your time and money as you go.
About You
Where did you grow up?
New York City is my hometown. I was both fortunate and not fortunate to grow up there in the grimy, scary, freewheeling 60’s-70’s. I survived (some of my friends and schoolmates didn’t), and I had a lot of amazing experiences that now give me fodder for my writing. I was a “subway rat” commuter kid from the age of 12, attending school in Manhattan although my family apartment was in Queens. I met kids from all the boroughs, mixed with lots of different cultures and saw many great rock concerts. I was, and continue to be, a huge Rocky Horror Picture Show fan! I love many things about NYC: seeing live theater, both off and on Broadway; running or walking in Central Park; visiting museums both well-known and obscure; and exploring the quality of rooftop bars around the city.
Where do you live now?
We moved to Northern Westchester, about 50 minutes from midtown Manhattan, but we live on a dirt road in horse country, so we get the best of all possible worlds. I get to have loud, exciting fun in the city and then wake up to seeing a bobcat or deer cross my yard while I write.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I love interacting with strangers to listen to their stories. My second novel is called Sonder: Janie’s Story and to those not familiar with the term “sonder”, it means the realization that every person you pass on the street has an entire life as complex as your own and you’re just an extra in their story as you walk by. Once you truly understand that concept, the next step is to engage and learn about them so you can grow as a human being. In that novel, “sonder” changes Janie’s life.
What are you working on now?
I am writing a novel about two women whose lives intersect in important ways; but one lived in New York City in 2010 and the other in the same area in 1650. It’s called Dream Life and I hope to have it ready to publish by spring 2026.
End of Interview:
For more from Maureen Morrissey, visit her website and follow her on Facebook.
Get your copy of Seeing is Believing from Amazon US or Amazon UK.