We’re looking forward to introducing you to Morrigan B. Moynihan. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Morrigan B., it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
Normally, I try to stay on top of tasks and chores, but I’m human, and that doesn’t always work out. I was gifted an Aerogarden recently, and have been working on growing some seeds in it with varying success. In one of my pods, I had some thyme seeds, and according to the packaging, they should have sprouted after so many days. When that timer ran out, I meant to throw them away and start again, but I had more pressing matters to attend to, what with being a mother of two, having a day job, and having my side gig and personal life–you know how it goes.
Well, these duds sat there for an extra three days, and I was really beating myself up about not taking care of a very simple task. When I finally went over to chuck them out, I was surprised to see that they had sprouted.
This not only made me laugh because my thyme just needed a little extra time to grow, but also taught me something valuable.
Sometimes it’s okay to procrastinate, and you don’t need to feel bad about that.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Morrigan B. Moynihan. I am an independent author working on the release of my debut dark fantasy, spicy romance novel, “In the Shadow of the Wolf: Awakening”.
My indie author journey is a recent development decades in the making. I’ve always been interested in writing and telling stories. In my school years, I won several student awards for my writing. In high school, I stopped because I became discouraged by an English teacher with whom I did not necessarily get along, and began to think that I was not good enough. Funny how one person can throw off your trajectory like that.
I attended college and studied animation and illustration to create concept art for animated films and shows. With the rise of AI and other industry issues, I turned my attention elsewhere and rediscovered my love of writing. I wrote several short stories just for myself for the fun of it, and then decided to bite off something larger and cross off a bucket list goal of writing and publishing a novel. Thus, ITSOTWA was born, and I cannot wait to share it with you.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I think at the root of that, bonds break between people when trust is lost. We hurt each other, we break promises, we aren’t there for one another, and trust is lost, so bonds break.
What restores it is putting aside our pride and being able to admit when we’re wrong. Sometimes that’s easier said than done because we may also feel hurt, and maybe we’re waiting for the other person to act first and apologize to us. It reminds me of Old Man Marley in “Home Alone,” who fought with his son and they became estranged from one another, so now he has to sneak into his granddaughter’s choir practice to see her. He’s afraid his son won’t talk to him, so he doesn’t act. But when he reaches out, he learns that his son had been just as hurt and upset as he had been, and they’re able to reconcile and rebuild that relationship.
Sometimes we need to put down our fear and hurt and be the one to act first.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I was raised in a very high-control religious environment. I never fully believed in all of its teachings and was often labeled as ‘different’ or ‘difficult,’ but I went along with it because I wanted to do right by my family, who were deeply devoted to it. I made all the expected choices — I attended the church-affiliated college, married within the faith, and became a young mother all before the age of 24.
After my child was born, I fell into a deep depression and began questioning everything I’d been taught. As I started pulling on those threads, the belief system I had built my life on began to unravel. It was disorienting, painful, and left me feeling angry and lost for a long time. I eventually divorced, left the faith, and had to learn how to navigate life as both a single parent and the first in my family to get divorced. Leaving also meant losing many of my relationships, which was heartbreaking at the time, but with distance, I found myself healthier, happier, and more grounded.
That experience shaped me profoundly. Growing up, I struggled with self-confidence and body image because of purity culture and harmful messages I’d been taught, but leaving allowed me to embrace self-acceptance and respect for myself in a way I never had before. I remarried the love of my life and gained a bonus kid, and we’ve built a wonderful life and family together.
I poured all that pain and transformation into my dark fantasy/romance novel “In the Shadow of the Wolf: Awakening”. Like me, Odessa discovers that the world she’s been raised to believe in isn’t what it seems, and she has to make her own choices about who she wants to become in the face of those hard truths.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Is the public version of any of us the real us?
We all wear masks of some kind. Who I am at work is not who I am at home or with my friends, or even who I am when I’m alone.
As much as I would like to say the public version of myself is the real me, and as much as I try to live authentically across all these settings, I’d be lying if I didn’t confess that the public me is a somewhat watered-down version of myself.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What will you regret not doing?
I spent 25 years in a high-control environment that taught me to stay small and doubt myself, and I missed many once-in-a-lifetime chances because I thought I was doing the right thing. Since leaving, I’ve discovered how much more beautiful life can be, and I don’t want to waste any more time living according to other people’s rules. It would be devastating to look back and realize I’d let fear and obligation keep me from becoming who I truly am. I’ve already spent too much time doing things I didn’t want to. Now I live to enjoy every second of life that I’m gifted.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://merrimoyart.my.canva.site/mbmpublishing
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merrimoyart/#
- Other: ITSOTWA Newsletter: https://itsotwa.beehiiv.com/
