What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
The idea began with a simple but unsettling question: What if your enemy was already running your house—and you didn’t know it?
I’ve always been fascinated by systems—political, intelligence, and corporate—and how influence often operates quietly beneath the surface. This story grew from imagining a decades-long operation in which identity itself becomes a tool.
At its core, the book explores how far a system can go to shape outcomes—and what it costs the individuals within it.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
Donna Best: “Control” – Halsey
Daniil Petrov: “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” – Tears for Fears
Igor Sokolov: “Lux Aeterna” – Clint Mansell
Olga: “Human” – Rag’n’Bone Man
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I don’t really stick to one genre—I tend to move between political thrillers, espionage, biographies, and broader fiction depending on what I’m in the mood for.
While I write in the political thriller space, that range definitely influences my work. I like bringing in elements of realism, psychology, and long-form tension. At the same time, I’ve had a love story in mind that I’ve wanted to write for a long time, so I don’t see myself staying in just one lane.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
My reading taste is a lot like my music—I move across genres, so my TBR is always a mix. I recently finished The Comfort Book, which was a nice shift into something more reflective.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
“The Shock.”
It’s the moment when a character realizes the reality of what has been set in motion—and understands there is no way to fight it. Writing that scene helped define the emotional core of the book: awareness without control.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I tend to write in long, uninterrupted stretches, often revisiting the same scene multiple times until the tone feels precise.
Less quirky, more obsessive—I’m very particular about pacing and how information is revealed.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
“What you see is rarely the full system.”
It’s something that applies both to writing and to real life.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
That the systems we trust most may already be shaped by forces we never see.
And once they succeed, there may be no clear way back.