An Open Book with Anna Madorsky
Awarded 4+ stars and the IndieReader Approved seal—here’s what the author has to say.
About the Book
In 150 words or less, give us your back-jacket summary — what’s this book about?
After eliminating the threat of having their secrets exposed, Elliott and Jason are back home and have reunited. But while life appears to have returned to normal, Elliott is anything but, and a restlessness stirs within her. When her need for agency erupts in a retributive act of violence that cannot be undone, Elliott is set on a path of decisions and consequences, leading her through a maze of questions about injustice, power, love, and the nature of the self.
The third and final chapter of my literary psychological thriller series Gutted, Dissolved, Then Finished, Then Finished is a story of identity, connection, and the brittle art of living in a broken world.
What’s the book’s first line?
“It was when I’d completely vanished, having disintegrated into nothingness, that I fell through a hole in the sky.”
What inspired you to write this book?
The first book in this series, Gutted, was written years ago. I knew there was still more to Elliott’s story, but it took a long time to start (and finish) book two, Dissolved. Within a few days of completing Dissolved, I began Then Finished and didn’t stop until it was done. So Then Finished was inspired by the persistent weight of a character who’s been with me for years, and by a story that kept wanting to explore the complexities of human connection.
Make the case — why should someone read this book?
Because you want to immerse yourself in a story that is unafraid to explore human complexity and the interior world. There are no easy answers to be found in this book. It’s both dark and intimate. It reflects a world where binaries like hero and villain are insufficient; where human connection, trauma, morality, desire, danger, identity, and choice collide in ways that can be frightening, disarming, and vulnerable. It is the culmination of a trilogy that bears witness to damage, consequence, and the human need to be seen.
Share a line from the book you’re particularly proud of.
“I had flung myself beyond our solar system, beyond the Milky Way, and had taken a leap into intergalactic space where the unbounded distances are only fathomable through metaphor.”
About the Author
When did you first decide to become an author?
The first book of this trilogy arrived in my mind at a point in my life when I’d become exhausted from making music and records. Sound felt too noisy, and songs felt too constrictive. A quiet blank page suddenly became very soothing. So I didn’t really decide to become an author. I’d already had a lifelong obsession with words through poetry and songwriting. Then, suddenly, this character and story arrived.
What else have you written?
Besides the first two books in the series, Gutted and Dissolved, I’m a poet and songwriter. I’ve released several music records, and publishing my poetry is on my to-do list.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I work in higher education. It keeps me grounded, connected to service, and in an organizational environment where I can work on teams with good people.
What does your writing process look like?
The cadence of words is what guides me, whether it’s poetry, music, or a novel. Once I find the rhythm in the language that clicks with the character or emotion, I just ride that wave. So my writing process is about finding the signature cadence of whatever I’m working on, and then carrying on until the writing session is over. I don’t create outlines or anticipate outcomes. I’m observing the story as much as I’m writing it, which makes for a very interesting experience. I love writing in the early morning hours, and you won’t find me without a cup of some random flavor of herbal tea.
What does being an indie author mean to you?
It means not worrying about industry gatekeepers or the politics that can be involved in ecosystems where art and commerce meet. If art means anything, it means freedom of expression without a lot of hand-wringing or validation-seeking.
What do you wish you’d known before you published?
I wish I’d had a flowchart that outlined the entire process: the logistics, dependencies, and considerations for each stage of publishing after writing the story.
What’s a great piece of advice you can share with fellow indie authors?
I’m not sure I’m a good source of advice, but I do have one rule: if I’m creating something that isn’t changing me for the better in some way, then I’m not on the right track. If I’m moved by something I write, and I’ve grown through the process, I’ve done my job. And that simplifies things for me.
What are you reading right now?
I’m reading The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded Edition. I love getting cozy with Tolkien’s thoughts.
What’s next for you?
I’m happy to say that I recently finished writing my fourth novel. It’s literary speculative fiction and blends old-world nautical ambience, mythic fantasy, and alien worlds into a character-driven story. After spending years inside the world of the trilogy, it has been exciting to move into something more expansive, atmospheric, and otherworldly while still exploring the interior lives of my characters. I suppose it’s a bit of a pivot to go from psychological fiction with a serial killer as a main character to creating a fantastical place where I get to draw maps and invent worlds. But that’s one of the wonderful things about creativity. Any door could open.
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