Mother’s Day—It Can Be Complicated.

Do you dread or delight in Mother’s Day?

Mothering. Motherhood. Motherless. Unmothered.

The root of these words—mother—can be incredibly loving yet also triggering, right?

I was thinking about motherhood, not just with Mother’s Day approaching, but also because of the books that I write. In my debut novel, It Could Be Worse, Allegra breaks a cycle of multigenerational narcissistic abuse after having children of her own. It’s ultimately a story of unconditional love in all its forms and how family are those we choose not just related by blood.

I met with a lively, witty group of women earlier this week—they invited me to their book club and asked fascinating questions. Our discussions inspired me to dive deeper.

As I’m finishing my draft of Shaken To The Core, my second novel that will be out summer 2026, the main theme of this book is about how mothering and motherhood transcend biology.

I’m incredibly grateful to have two children—my eldest is twenty-three and my youngest is twenty. Here’s a photo of me pregnant with my son. This feels like another lifetime!

I have friends for whom conceiving was difficult if not impossible. It breaks my heart. But that’s not the only way to be a mother or to mother.

For me, novels are my “book babies.” The characters come alive in my mind. They nestle themselves into my heart, living there long after a book is published. They go through all kinds of phases and stages much like children do. And then when they are birthed into the world, they are no longer ours. I was reminded of this the night before my book launch by my friend Samantha Bailey. We should all have people like this in our lives.

Isn’t that so true? Whether it’s writing a book, creating a painting, composing a piece of music—any art form—we are birthing creations that come from our souls.

Whatever your circumstances, please know you are loved—not just today but always.

XO,

Dara