Thriller
Date Published: March 26, 2026
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Interview
Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
Yes! In this novel, the main character, Marlowe, grows from self-doubt to self-trust while she and her circle of mama friends dig into a cold case about a missing woman. I hope, like Marlowe, that readers will look into themselves to connect with their own strengths, and lean into the strengths in their community. We are so much stronger together! And of course, as a perinatal mental health therapist, I hope the story helps readers understand what it feels like to have postpartum depression or anxiety, and grow in their compassion as they see how hard Marlowe works through it with her team of supporters. It takes a village! This is why I put resources to check out for yourself, and book club questions in the back too, for further discussion!
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Yes, editing! When I first wrote this book, I was writing for the love of it and wrote WAY too much. I ended up cutting 68,000 words! But that helped me whittle it down to only scenes that worked double time for character development and driving the plot forward. Plus a few poems that give insight into the Marlowe’s mind, in a beautiful way that hopefully makes people feel something!
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I’ve written three books that are all different! I wrote a volume of poetry, I Gave Birth to My Heart, and a support group curriculum called The Afterglow. I feel like a parent trying to tell their children,“I don’t pick favorites!” Haha! Postpartum Depression is d ubbed the “smiling depression” and people who have not been through it often wonder, “what are parents so sad about after they have a baby?” In I Gave Birth to My Heart, I wanted to draw back the curtains and give readers a glimpse into what recovery from Postpartum Depression and Anxiety actually feels like in this collection of poems. With or without Postpartum Depression, if you have had children and experienced the breaking down of your life and rebuilding from the ground up, you will find yourself in some of these lines of verse. If you have gone through infertility or the loss of a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, illness, or making an adoption plan for your baby, these poems reveal a process through grief and loss. Even if you have never had children, you will get a glimpse into the secret anguishes and innumerable joys universal to parents, and one mother’s reinvention of herself after Postpartum Depression and Anxiety. The Afterglow has allowed me to connect with folks all over world who have reached out about starting a support group. I’m so grateful for that opportunity and am so encouraged every time that happens! But during release week for the novel I spent 5 years working on, I have to say In Her Own Backyard is my favorite. I LOVE the five mama characters individually and collectively, and I LOVE the idea of a group of mom friends solving a cold case.
If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
Ooh fun question! Marlowe would be played by a redhead—I think Jane Levy would be fun. River would be played someone who looks like Emma Watson, but without a British accent. Burke would be played by Kerry Washington (a girl can dream!), and Amaya would be played by a Latina actress, like Rachel Zegler. Ivy would be played by a Chinese actress. Gong Li is amazing!
When did you begin writing?
Oh my goodness, I’ve been writing stories and poems since I could read, at 5 years old. Nancy Drew books were a favorite back then, starting the lifelong love of mysteries! Poetry has also been a faithful companion throughout my life starting with Shel Silverstein and Mary Oliver. I tend to write to create beauty out of pain, to make meaning out of experiences, and for the sheer pleasure of playing with words and their many intriguing connotations.
How long did it take to complete your first book?
This is my first novel, and it took me three years to write, plus two years to edit before I submitted it. I wrote part-time, just a couple hours a week, in between work and kiddos, but that time was sacred. After pre-school drop-off, I would read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations or one of Mary Oliver’s volumes of poetry to get in the right mindset. Then I would make some tea and start writing!
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
Yes, Barbara Kingsolver’s book, The Poisonwood Bible, was life-changing for me in high school. I had never read a book with a rotating cast of narrators to portray different perspectives about the same events, and I LOVED it. I thought, I want to write a book like that someday!
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
My favorite part of the writing process is following the wisps of inspiration. Something lights up in my brain with that feeling of “Yes, you’re on the right track!” I am a plotter; I outlined the whole story, the major plot points and the characters’ back stories and then I felt like I was free to fill in the gaps with whatever felt inspired. I love it when I start to think in the characters’ voices and it’s as if I am a conduit for what they want to say.
Describe your latest book in 4 words.
Woman feeling lost investigates…
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
I didn’t consider it at first, but when my editor said, “You should definitely write a sequel from each of the mama characters’ perspectives,” I liked that idea! Amaya’s voice has already started talking to me as the narrator of the next book in the series, and that is fun because she is spicy!
About the Author
Ashley Hanna-Morgan is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) certified in perinatal mental health (PMH-C). In addition to her work as a psychotherapist, she writes about mental health to advocate for change and inspire hope. In 2016, she wrote The Afterglow, a mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy curriculum that supports parents with postpartum depression and anxiety. In 2017, she published I Gave Birth to My Heart, a collection of poems about the secret anguishes and innumerable joys of reinventing oneself after postpartum depression.
When she isn’t counseling clients or volunteering with Postpartum Support International, Ashley loves to experiment in the kitchen and spend as much time outside as possible in San Diego, where she resides with her family. In Her Own Backyard is her first novel.
Purchase Links
