Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, author of The Fortune Tellers of Ru Daru, The Haunting of Moscow House, and The Witch and the Tsar, left a successful law career to write stories inspired by Slavic folklore, drawing from her own Russian heritage. In this episode, Olesya opens up about her path from attorney to published novelist, the role of curiosity in her creative process, and the family superstitions and immigrant experience that inspired her latest novel.

From the challenges of balancing motherhood with writing deadlines, to the reality of what happens after you land that first book deal, Olesya shares invaluable wisdom for writers at every stage of their careers.

In this episode, you'll Learn:

• Why curiosity—not just talent—is the secret ingredient to improving your craft

• How to know when your manuscript is ready to query (and why your first book might not be "the one")

• The real timeline from idea to publication, including the proposal process for multi-book deals

• Why rejection from an agent today doesn't mean rejection forever—even from that same agent

• How to balance research with creative freedom when writing historical fiction

• The power of writing what you're curious about rather than chasing market trends

• What actually happens after you get your first publishing deal (spoiler: the work isn't over)

• Why setbacks—big and small—are inevitable, and how to keep going anyway

• The importance of finding your unique voice by turning inward to your own culture and experiences

• How to structure your writing life around other responsibilities without losing momentum

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Topics Covered:

2:44 - What is The Fortune Tellers of Ru Daru about?

4:43 - The spark that started the story

4:50 - Discovering fortune telling in Olesya’s own family's traditions

8:18 - Slavic folklore and superstition

12:25 - The journey from contemporary fantasy to gothic suspense

14:40 - Why historical fiction appeals to a former lawyer

14:51 - Using litigation skills to build complex stories

17:52 – The appeal of the 1920s

20:24 - "Women carry the brunt of survival"

20:47 - The strong women who inspired the novel

25:30 - Making immigration central to the story

25:54 – Olesya’s personal immigrant experience

28:50 - The research process for this book

29:13 - Finding academic sources

33:19 – Olesya’s writing process

39:20 – Becoming a writer

41:48 - Making the switch from law to writing

44:31 - The road to getting published

48:09 - What Olesya wishes she'd known before publishing

50:25 - Best advice for aspiring authors

52:58 - Theme song selection