Why I Loved Writing “Can You Be”

My latest novel, Can You Be, was just released! It’s my second novel and overall, my fifth book. I loved writing Can You Be.

It started as a short story called “The Box,” and I kept that name for a long time. I was lucky that a friend of mine and later an editor who read the short story version recommended I lengthen it into a novel. I did that last year, and the result was this book.

The description at the back says:

Naina’s life is as it has always been. She lives in a self-imposed sheltered manner in Charleston, South Carolina, yet wants nothing more than to have the support of friends and family. She is too afraid to put herself out there, having been hurt so much in the past. Her routines give her a sense of safety…until an early August morning, when Naina receives a box. It has no information about its sender and it is left on her doorstep. A mysterious man shows up at her work asking her about it.

Everything begins to change after the arrival of the box, and Naina is presented with a chance to change her life, and to explore compassion, forgiveness, and believing in herself. She struggles to understand the power of connections and the potential of expanding her horizons. Naina’s journey is mystical and, in portions, it takes her through Stockholm, Helsinki, and the Baltics. Will this quest lead her to discover who she can be?

I loved writing it because this book is about relationships, it’s about self-compassion, it’s about believing in yourself, it’s about connection, and it’s about expanding your horizons.

At its heart, the book explores the notion of being: can you be? Is it about being alive? What does it mean to be alive? Is being a profession? Can you be something? Or is it about learning to be at ease with yourself? Can you (just) be?

I invite you to read Can You Be.