Q&A with Maya-Gawonii Shabazz-Saleh – Author Interview

Maya-Gawonii Shabazz-Saleh is an author who isn’t afraid to explore the darker corners of human relationships, blending tension, suspense, and emotion into stories that keep readers turning the pages. With a distinctive voice and a talent for creating compelling characters, Maya-Gawonii crafts narratives that linger long after the final chapter, inviting readers to question what they think they know about trust, survival, and the people closest to us.

In this Q&A, we chat with Maya-Gawonii about her writing journey, the inspiration behind her work, and the creative process that brought My Roommate Is Trying To Kill Me to life. From developing unforgettable characters to navigating the twists and turns of psychological suspense, she offers an honest and fascinating insight into the mind behind the story.

About The Author

Tell us more about you.

My name is Maya, after exalted ancestor Maya Angelou! I live in the SF Bay Area and am a Black and Egyptian, lesbian mother. I make sure to mention that in the spirit of Audre Lorde’s self identification: she would refer to herself as “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet”

What are the three items you’d take on a deserted island?

• Medical textbook but I used to be an EMT so I feel like I’d actually understand at a minimal level at least, what the instructions were saying.
• Tarp
• A gallon of bleach

What is your favourite book and who is your favourite author?

My current favorite book is Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons From Marine Mammals and I’m also really enjoying reading Who Cooked The Last Supper?

Do you prefer e-books, physical books or audiobook?

E-books only because I truly don’t have enough room in my house for my books but I’m getting an office soon so that will change!

Is writing your full-time profession or a hobby?

Currently writing is my full time job and has been for several years now!

What social media platform do you like and use the most?

I really enjoy Instagram and Threads, they are my only social media. Links to my socials:

Your Writing Process

How do you go about starting a new novel?

I’m a very big planner but things will change during the course of writing a novel or novella so I stay flexible and see where my characters take me! Before drafting I’ll write up the story bible which can be between 10-35 pages depending on complexity of the world I’m building, and then I create a chapter-by-chapter beat sheet broken down into Act I, II, and III.

From there, while I’m on the Act, I will go through each chapter of the Act and break it down even further by writing out scene-by-scene beats. And I always make sure to have a clear understanding of the purpose of that chapter and how I’d like the reader to feel when they finish.

I also always start writing by creating the soundtrack for the novel on Tidal to listen to while I write and I just press repeat!

What do you like most about writing?

I love the way my characters fill themselves out. They truly feel like real people to me. As I’m writing, sometimes I’ll draft a scene and go wait… that’s not at all how this character would act. So watching my ideas and concepts unfold into something legible is so fun. I also LOVE love love connecting with readers!

What do you find stops you from writing more?

I’m a Virgo and very hard headed, haha so not much stops me but I do find myself getting distracted when I talk to my spouse about my stories! Then they have to remind me I’m supposed to actually be writing them, lol.

What genres do you like to write and why?

I prefer writing literary romance, sometimes with speculative or magical realist elements.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring writers?

Don’t take things so personally, always work on your craft by taking classes, even unexpected ones—it’s all to strengthen your writing! For example, I think I’m really good with my romcoms and that’s because I took three levels of a stand up class, and also two levels of a class called “Feminist Improv”.

Also, find your writing community! It is so important and crucial to be in community with other writers. I’m a part of a Bay Area writing group for moms and it’s very nourishing.

Showcase Your Book!

How many books have you written and if more than one, what’s your favourite?

I’ve written My Roommate Is Trying To Kill Me which comes out 10/13/26; The Margins Between Us which came out 3/31/26; The Twelve Voicemails of Christmas which came out Nov 2025, and Moss Mother: Poems from the Bayou which came out Oct 2025.

How long did My Roommate Is Trying To Kill Me take you to write?

This book surprised me with how long it took me to write. It doesn’t take me too much time to write, I feel like making the story bible, beat sheet, soundtrack, RESEARCH, and basically mapping everything out is the biggest hurdle and time suck before writing. But I started My Roommate Is Trying To Kill Me took me from September 2025 to March/April 2026. That’s longer than normal for me but it is a different genre than I’m used to (MM horror romance) and I had to do a lot of research.

Lastly, what is your favourite thing about being an author?

I love talking to kids about what I do. I teach poetry at schools, libraries, and for community groups across the Bay Area and the kids as young as 4th grade to high school seniors always seem so impressed to meet an author.

But that’s not the cool part to me, the cool part to me is showing the kids that it’s possible.

You absolutely can be a writer and I always make sure to stress that you don’t have to be a “good” writer even. Sure, some folks are naturally gifted but the great thing about writing is that the momentum tends to always swing upwards. Read more than you write, take classes, and you’ll be on your way!

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