An Interview with Sheilah Jane

Sheilah Jane is a Filipina American writer, certified yoga instructor, and engineer by training whose work explores identity, intergenerational memory, and the quiet power of survival. Raised in the Philippines and living in the United States, she writes with a deeply personal lens on diaspora, motherhood, and the search for belonging.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

The stories and quiet wisdom of my parents were the heart of my inspiration for Shadows and Sunrises. Their resilience, shaped by the trials of their time, helped me face my own struggles with courage and grace. As I wrote, I began to see how healing can travel both backward and forward – how understanding their past allowed me to make peace with my present. I felt called to share our story not only as a tribute to them, but as an offering to others searching for meaning, belonging, and light within their own histories.

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

The title Shadows and Sunrises emerged from a chapter reflecting on Martial Law in the Philippines. That period cast a long shadow over countless lives, including my family’s, and writing about it revealed both the darkness we inherit and the resilience that follows. The phrase stayed with me because it spoke to the central rhythm of my memoir – the movement from silence to voice, from grief to grace. Once I recognized that it held the emotional arc of the book, the title felt inevitable rather than difficult to choose.

Describe your dream book cover.

My dream book cover is one that captivates a potential reader at first glance. That the reader is compelled to pick up the book, read the book description then purchases the book.

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

The songs would include:

Memory by Barbra Streisand

I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor

Unstoppable by Sia

Downfall by D’Lourdes

Downfall happens to be the music for my podcast, Shadows and Sunrises The Podcast.

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Camino Island by John Grisham

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

I am a trained engineer who worked in semi-conductor and oil and gas; a certified yoga instructor who taught in gyms, yoga studios and corporate offices; and a Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 2. My partner and I founded Sempre Avanti Imports for wine and spirits importation and Foxy Flower, a CBD company. Together, we travel for the love of it, culture, and connection.

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

My father was the one who made me write. His passing left me with so many words unspoken, and I realized how much we had both carried in silence. When I left the Philippines and he began to fade into dementia, communication became difficult –sometimes impossible. The conversations I could no longer have with him found their way onto the page instead. Those imagined dialogues, filled with love, regret, and understanding, became the first sentences of my book. In many ways, Shadows and Sunrises is the conversation we never finished.

Where is your favorite place to write?

Anywhere quiet. It could be just a room, somewhere outside, and even while in flight in a plane.

What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?

I would tell myself to trust my instincts and let the words flow without overthinking where they might lead. Writing a memoir asks you to revisit places of both beauty and pain, and it’s easy to get lost in the emotion of it all. I’d remind myself that it’s okay to pause, to breathe, and to step away when needed. The truth has a way of waiting for you – it returns when you’re ready to hold it with both honesty and compassion.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

I hope readers remember that they are never truly alone, and that the words left unspoken often weigh heavier than the ones we share. Shadows and Sunrises is about the power of connection – the courage to reach out, to listen, and to speak while there’s still time. Time waits for no one, but when we open our hearts, even brief moments of understanding can last a lifetime.

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Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.