Michelle Maryk’s The Found Object Society, released February 10, 2026, invites readers into a world where memory, mystery, and the supernatural blur the boundaries of time—and her own creative journey is just as compelling as the story itself. In this interview, Maryk reflects on the unconventional childhood influences that shaped her imagination, the early-morning writing discipline that keeps her grounded, and the spark of inspiration that arrived in a single, unforgettable moment. From ghost stories and cinematic storytelling to the realities of modern book marketing, she shares an honest look at the habits, challenges, and creative instincts that continue to guide her work as an author.
Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: As a kid, I grew up with a dad who took me to Dairy Queens alongside graveyards so he could tell me ghost stories; bought tickets to Alien as I watched, enthralled, and my Swedish cousin ran to the bathroom and puked; encouraged me to consider all things supernatural and extraterrestrial—in other words, the best-worst dad ever.
Parenting skills (or lack thereof) aside, those wild, terrifying, exhilarating experiences imprinted themselves in my DNA as a human and an author. I’m drawn to stories that feature what-ifs, tales that dance within the realm of reality only to dip into the murk of what could be possible…if.
Q: How do you nurture your creativity when life gets busy or overwhelming?
A: I start to get pretty crabby if I allow other things in my life to distract from my ability to write and be creative. Blocking out the time to write—as much as possible—keeps me sane.
Q: What’s one writing habit you can’t live without and one you wish you could break?
A: Great Habit: Getting up at 6 AM and writing every morning during a first draft or an edit…. Bad Habit: the sheer terror of facing the blinking cursor every morning.
Q: When do you feel most “in the zone” with your writing—early mornings, late nights, or somewhere in between?
A: 100% early morning. I lose steam as the day goes on. I do get plenty of ideas later in the day or at night, so I make certain I write those down, at the very least.
Q: Do you find inspiration in other art forms (music, film, visual art)? If so, how does it shape your work?
A: I’m a very visual writer. I hear some writers only see words when they write (which is fascinating to me). So, even though I don’t write toward something being adapted for TV/film, I view writing cinematically. So film and limited series and my dreams (can dreams be an art form?) really come into play when I’m writing.
Q: Do you have your own circle of writer friends? If so, what other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
A: The authors and writer friends that I have met over the past several years at writing conferences are a crucial part of my becoming a published author. Without their support, friendship and advice, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am. I’m forever grateful to a large circle of people.
Q: What themes do you find yourself returning to again and again in your work?
A: Anything supernatural. The power of memories and dreams. The idea that our spirit can move beyond the vessel of our body. The power of nature and humanity’s relative insignificance.
Q: What’s your go-to snack or drink while writing?
A: I seem to often have a cup of coffee near me…and water. I need to remind myself to eat sometimes when I go down the writing wormhole.
Q: Do you have any rituals or routines to help you transition into “writer mode”?
A: I usually try to get a workout in before I start my writing day. Then I’m ready.
Q: What’s the most rewarding feedback you’ve ever received from a reader?
A: Anytime someone says they loved The Found Object Society is thrilling. I can’t imagine ever taking that kind of a comment for granted.
Q: In your experience, what has been the best way to market your books? Where have you found the greatest return on your investment (whether it be time or money invested?)
A: Hiring my own publicist—though terrifying because of the expense—was absolutely worth every penny. She (Kathleen Carter) got me 3 large/high profile pieces in PEOPLE—among many other things. She helped get me coverage and opportunities I would never had gotten had I left it to my publisher’s PR/Marketing team. It’s too bad that’s the case, but it’s the way the landscape of publishing has changed over the past decade.
Q: What’s one question readers ask you the most about your books, and what’s your answer?
A: How did you come up with the idea for The Found Object Society? Usually, ideas come to me in patches, images that over time form the big picture. The Found Object Society was different. It was a jolt, a focused bolt. A real, Aha!
It was mid-March 2023, I was still an unagented writer and I was about a month into writing another novel. I was drinking wine and idly scrolling through Instagram by our wood stove—there may have been a cat on my lap (there often is). I landed on an ad for Etsy that featured an etched martini glass from the 1920s. For whatever reason, it stopped me cold.
There in its facets I pondered who its original owner had been, pictured an elegant dame with a black bob, saying stuff like, “Let’s grind the corn, Handsome” or “You’re the bees knees” and wearing Art Deco rings and taking a sip, leaving her red lipstick on its rim.
Then I pictured her dying—dramatically—at that very moment.
Where did her energy go? Did it transfer into the martini glass to be held for all eternity?
What if one could tap into that energy and experience her death but live to tell about it? The words, Found Object, popped into my head—smacked really, like a mallet to my temple.
Q: What do you wish readers understood better about the writing or publishing process?
A: It takes a very long time from book deal to your book actually being on a shelf…count on at least 18 months, often more.
Q: What other books would you recommend to our readers in addition to your own?
A: If people are into books with a time travel element (like The Found Object Society) I’d recommend: The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart; Time and Again by Jack Finney; Kindred by Octavia Butler; The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley; The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer.
Q: If you could live in the world of one of your books for a day, which would it be and why?
A: The Found Object Society has a number of POVs that take the reader to different eras and regions. I think I’d like to spend the day in 1920s Chicago with my silent film star, Colleen Davies.
Q: If your life were a novel, what would the title be?
A: She Waits for No One…this will also be my epitaph. Ha!
Q: What projects are you working on at the present?
A: I’m hoping to be working on both a sequel and a prequel for The Found Object Society soon, but I also have a literary horror novel called, MATER, that I’m doing edits on. Think the movie Barbarian X The Daughter of Dr Moreau.
Author Bio
Michelle Maryk has been drawn to storytelling since childhood, when her first attempt at a novel—written at age eight in a tiny spiral notebook—hinted at the imaginative voice she would later bring to fiction. Born and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, she grew up fascinated by the supernatural, an influence that continues to shape her work today. The daughter of a Swedish mother and an Albanian American father, Maryk holds dual citizenship in Sweden and the United States and maintains strong ties to her family’s home in the Baltic Sea region.
After attending Cornell University and the Yale Writer’s Workshop, Maryk moved to New York City to pursue careers in comedy, acting, and voice-over performance, work she still balances alongside writing. She returned to fiction in 2019 and has since written four novels, including her debut, The Found Object Society. She now lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband and their two energetic cats, continuing to explore stories that blend imagination, mystery, and the uncanny.
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Now available in print and on Kindle!
While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my latest suspense novel, It Had to Happen, now available in print and on Kindle!
Book Summary
When Jack Utley loses his daughter just as his business is about to soar, it seems he’s traded financial gain for Callie’s life. After an encounter with a mysterious woman on the eve of Callie’s funeral, Jack wakes up to find that time has somehow rewound to the morning of Callie’s accident. Jack gets an opportunity that most grieving parents can only dream of – he saves his daughter’s life.
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