Michelle Landry

Writing a novel was a childhood dream of mine. I remember visiting our local library in Lincoln, Rhode Island, as a small child and taking in the smell of every book I opened. The newer books would literally give me goosebumps. I cherished books, a love that was passed down to me from my mother.

During COVID, I suddenly had a great deal of time to write down my thoughts. Believe me, so much was going on inside my mind regarding everything happening around us in 2020. I won't get political, but something about the loss of control over our own lives did not sit well in my gut. I needed a way to process those feelings, and writing became cathartic for me.

I wrote about five chapters of a novel and then shelved it, thinking it wasn't something I would ever show anyone.

My mom passed away in February 2024, and I honestly feel, somehow, she prompted me to begin the book again. One morning in July 2026, six years after I had written those first chapters, something came over me. I went to my computer, opened the file simply titled "book," and started writing again.

I couldn't stop.

Some days, I wrote as fast as I could. The thoughts just poured out of me. Quango Bleeding was written by me, but I believe my mom and the memories we shared helped me find the heart of the story.

Because of the devastating pandemic, my mother had been confined to her room. She entered the nursing home as a vibrant, physically fit, incredibly intelligent woman in her 90s. Due to the lockdowns, her world was reduced to four walls. She would pace back and forth across her room to get her “exercise,” as she called it, no longer allowed to leave her room for any reason. My heart broke for her. For an entire year, her family could do nothing more than wave to her from the parking lot.

Those memories stayed with me. Years later, some of the emotions surrounding that time—the fear, isolation, loss of control, and importance of family—found their way into my writing.

I finally accomplished the childhood dream of that little girl. I wrote my first novel.

I only wish my mom were here to hold it.

Quango Bleeding is dedicated, in my heart, to her.

I am currently working on my next novel. "Jackson Grace" a prequel to Quango Bleeding. This novel will be available the summer of 2027.