An Interview with Mallory M. O’Connor

Mallory M. O’Connor holds degrees in art and art history from Ohio University and taught art history at the University of Florida and at Santa Fe College. She also served for ten years as director of the City of Gainesville’s Thomas Center Gallery. Mallory is the author of eight published novels—the American River Trilogy (historical fiction) and the Psychic Series (paranormal/cli-fi) as well as three non-fiction books, including The Kitchen and the Studio: A Memoir of Food and Art (Atmosphere Press, 2023) co-authored by her husband, artist John A. O’Connor. A Trail in the Woods is the fifth and final book in this series.

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Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Initially, the title was “A Cry in the Woods.” Part of the story tells about a newborn who was abandoned in the woods. But as the book moved forward there were many other incidents that happened along the “trail.” So, the title changed to accommodate the other parts of the story.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

I LOVE that rush that happens when I see a new book for the first time! It’s finally “REAL!” It’s like welcoming a new baby!

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

My mother was a librarian, so from the time I was born, she read to me and there were always LOTS of books everywhere in our home. She encouraged me to pick ANYTHING off the shelf and would say, “If you have any questions, we can discuss.” I fell totally in love with books and started writing my own stories by the time I was six or seven years old.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

My first real “job” was as principal organist at St. Matthews Episcopal Church. I also taught piano lessons. But when I was ready to go to college, I had decided to be an artist. I went to UC Davis to study art and met my soon-to-be husband, who was also an artist. Later, I got a degree in art history and for twenty years taught art history at the University of Florida. I was also the director of the city’s Municipal Art Gallery. Whew!

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

A Trail in the Woods is the fifth (and final) book of my psychic detective series, so it was wonderful to “wrap up the series” and enjoy the whole story.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Loreena McKennitt’s The Mask and the Mirror. Or several other of her works. Her music embraces spirit, mysteries, and endless questions.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

A reviewer wrote, “The characters are written with the quiet melancholy of people trying to understand both the world around them and the worlds beyond. A Trail in the Woods isn’t just a ghost story. It’s a meditation on love, forgiveness, and the strange ways the past reaches into the present.” My perfect reader would be one who is curious about this world and what might lay beyond and who would enjoy “slow-burning mysteries with a spiritual twist.”

What creative projects are you currently working on?

I’m currently researching a new historical fiction story that is based on America’s “first black millionaire” and his love for a talented New England artist that he meets when they are both in London in the 1820s. The book will encompass East and West, Black and White, and follow the story of the abolitionist movement in America.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Great! This is the second book that I’ve published with Atmosphere and they are excellent to work with. Very helpful and enthusiastic!

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