An Interview with Zoe Conley

I’m an independent author with a lifelong love for storytelling. Before writing books, I trained as a performer in NYC at a prominent acting academy and later worked in Disney’s entertainment department. Both experiences strengthened my passion for bringing characters, emotions, and entire worlds to life.

Although I primarily write romance, my stories are shaped by the political climate of today and explore themes that resonate deeply with readers, such as healing from past trauma, breaking generational cycles, reclaiming personal power, and learning healthy communication. I aim to take complex and often heavy topics and translate them into narratives that feel both immersive and emotionally accessible.

I am still new to the publishing world, but readers have shared how transported they feel by my books. They describe being pulled into vivid worlds and characters that feel unsettlingly familiar, yet entirely their own. My goal is always the same: to craft stories that linger, stories that make you feel something long after the final page.

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What inspired you to start writing this book?

To be quite honest, this book just sort of spilled out of me. I had no intention of writing a book nor had I ever set out to take courses on writing. The original story stemmed from a fanfiction that I wrote for myself and morphed into this elitist dystopian society that reminded me of the people and social scene of my early years growing up. Sometimes that happens with a story – it just has to come out! For me, it started with a need for an outlet to process my past trauma and grief, and it twisted and molded into something much more relatable and beautiful that I just couldn’t help but dive into. About two months into writing the story, I finished a first draft and knew that I had to at least try to share it with a few readers. It helped to heal something inside me, and I hoped that it would do the same for others.

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

Just like the story, it came naturally and I didn’t really have a choice in the matter. It just was. A Way With Darkness is just that: it’s the way in which we navigate the darkness and the hardships in our lives. It’s all up to you how you handle and mold that darkness, either into something dark and sinister that eats at you and festers, or into something healing and light that can progress you forward. It was just the perfect title for the story being told.

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

Oh, it most definitely has a soundtrack! I use music for everything I write. It helps to bring emotion and deeper meaning while I am fleshing out the scenes. On the playlist, you will find songs like Tattoo by Loreen, I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE by Maneskin, Angry Too by Lola Blanc, Circles by Post Malone, Fresh Out The Slammer by Taylor Swift, and You Don’t Own Me by SAYGRACE. It’s eclectic but it’s filled with music that empowers, describes the feeling of being lonely as someone who is hyper independent, and songs that remind you of a time when the only thing you felt was numb and an ever-present yearning for someone you know you can’t have.

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

I actually don’t tend to read while I am writing. When I have free time, I tend to choose to write instead of reading, though I will listen to audiobooks while driving or doing the dishes! Anything that has a strong cast of emotionally intelligent characters with character-driven plot!

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

I think my writing will always stem from my background in theater. I started off dancing, mostly ballet, and performed a lot of storybook ballets. As I got older, and injured, I turned to acting and even got a degree at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Both are rooted in storytelling. In ballet, we tell a story with our body; in acting, we of course tell a story through emotions and characters. When you put both together, it’s a perfect storm that helps to deepen my writing, especially if you are like me and LOVE to dive deep into a character’s mental state and the psychology behind their choices. It was always about storytelling for me, and I should have known sooner, honestly, that one day I would write books. Here I am, three books in, and I still have so many more stories to tell.

Where is your favorite place to write?

At my desk, right in front of my window, especially if there is a thunderstorm. I don’t love writing in public spaces since I tend to have a hard time concentrating, so it’s best I lock myself in my office and work furiously as I gaze out my window. It’s like a portal to worlds that could be. Maybe it sounds crazy, but a window can be so much more than just a window; it’s a possibility.

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

Don’t get hooked up on what others are doing, and don’t expect others to care. It sounds harsh, but I wish I had realized sooner that just because you ask family or friends to read your work does not mean they owe you the time and effort to read it. People live in their own world, and you have to entice them to step into yours; you can’t force it. And those other writers or authors out there? They aren’t competition. They are just other storytellers who have something else to say. They don’t take away from the story you are telling.

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

I hope that readers come away with a sense of hope and maybe even a little enlightenment. A Way With Darkness is just that – a bit dark…but it is all about finding your way through the darkness to the light, and as cliché as that sounds, it’s important to share. Sometimes when you are at your lowest, you forget that human connection is sometimes one of the most important things about life. When we lose that, we lose ourselves. In my book, and the rest of the series, I hope that readers find a sense of belonging and understanding within the pages, and find hope, even if it takes decades to shape.

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