Writing Side by Side: Adriana Mather and James Bird on Books, Family, and Finding the Magic

Writing is often described as a solitary pursuit. Most of us spend our days alone with our thoughts, our characters, and a blinking cursor. Yet for all the hours spent at our desks, the people we surround ourselves with can have an enormous impact on our creative lives.

Every writer needs a support system—people who celebrate the breakthroughs, talk us through the inevitable setbacks, and remind us to keep going when a manuscript isn’t cooperating or a publishing dream feels just out of reach. Sometimes those people are critique partners. Sometimes they’re writing friends. And sometimes, if you’re especially lucky, they’re sitting across the breakfast table from you.

That’s one of the reasons I’ve been looking forward to introducing today’s guests—married authors and filmmakers Adriana Mather and James Bird.

Last fall, before my family moved from Massachusetts to California, I attended an event at The Purple Couch Bookshop in North Andover, Massachusetts featuring Adriana and James. James was celebrating the release of his new middle-grade novel Wolf Club, and Adriana spoke about her writing journey, her earlier novels, and the craft of storytelling itself.

Long before that event, James and I had connected through the kidlit community online. It didn’t take me long to discover what so many writers and readers already know: he’s the kind of person who makes the publishing world feel delightfully smaller and kinder. Warm, encouraging, funny, and generous with his time, he’s exactly the kind of person you hope to find in your corner (and luckily, I do!).

Meeting Adriana in person was equally wonderful. Readers know her as the New York Times bestselling author of novels including How to Hang a Witch, Haunting the Deep, Killing November, and Hunting November. What impressed me most about her was her thoughtfulness. As she spoke to us about her career, creative process, and the realities of publishing, I found myself scribbling mental notes. Her insights reflected not only years of experience, but also a deep understanding of storytelling and the writing life.

Adriana’s fascination with history runs deep. A twelfth-generation Mather, she grew up surrounded by family stories and New England history, influences that helped inspire her bestselling debut, How to Hang a Witch. Next month, she returns with Alchemy of Souls, a dark academia fantasy filled with magic, mystery, ambition, and romance.

James, an Ojibwe author and filmmaker, has become a beloved voice in middle-grade literature through critically-acclaimed and award-winning novels such as The Brave, No Place Like Home, and Wolf Club. Drawing on both his Indigenous heritage and personal experiences, James creates stories filled with adventure, heart, humor, and characters searching for belonging and purpose.

As I read an advanced copy of Alchemy of Souls in preparation for this interview, I found myself lingering over the front and back pages (because they were pretty freaking awesome, like the story itself). Adriana dedicates the novel to her grandfather, whom she remembers as joyful, hardworking, and “entirely unstoppable” into his nineties. In her Author’s Note, she shares the inspiring story of her mother, who went from working as a housekeeper to earning a PhD in cognitive neuroscience from Brown University.

These family stories speak to perseverance, self-belief, and the courage to pursue dreams that may seem impossible—qualities that also run through the work of both of today’s guests. These themes connect to their own lives, as well. Here are two talented storytellers navigating the joys and uncertainties of publishing together—encouraging one another, learning from one another, and building a creative life side by side.

I’m delighted to welcome Adriana Mather and James Bird to the Writer’s Rumpus blog.

Hilary Elizabeth Margitich: Welcome, Adriana and James, it’s so nice to talk to you again!

Adriana Mather: So lovely to chat with you, too! Thanks for the thoughtful introduction 🙂

James Bird: It’s great to talk to you again! We left California and moved to Massachusetts. You left Massachusetts and moved to California. I’m glad we still get these moments to stay connected.

HEM: So, you both spend your days creating stories for young readers. What I’d love to know is this: how has being married to one another shaped each of your respective writing lives? And what does support look like when one of you is facing a deadline, a rejection, or a book launch?

AM: He wrote screenplays for film years before I became a writer. Then I started writing books and he copied me. Lol. But both of us being writers is a gift. We bounce ideas off one another, argue over plot points, and support each other through deadlines and obstacles. Mostly though, we just talk about made up words and get excited about them.

JB: For me, it feels great to have my favorite writer only a few feet away from me. And we work so differently. She pops in and bounces ideas off me, and likes to talk her scenes through. I don’t let her read anything of mine until I’m done. She plans everything. I plan nothing. So we work well being opposites under one roof.

HEM: Adriana, Alchemy of Souls is filled with a lot of magic, mystery, ambition, and characters trying to discover who they truly are. What was your spark for this story, and what drew you to the dark academia genre in particular?

AM: I loved the idea of two students graduating high school and instead of being chosen for specific magical guilds, they were assigned to each other through a spell gone awry. It’s even more fun since Grayson is the golden boy whose uncle is high chancellor and Eloise is a struggling magic student of a laborer. Full-on enemies to lovers with lots of banter. Dark academia has always been so fun because it’s atmospheric with arcane systems. Add magic, and it only gets better.

HEM: I absolutely loved both the dedication to your grandfather and the Author’s Note about your mother’s educational journey in Alchemy of Souls. How did the two of them influence the themes at the heart of this novel, and what do you hope readers take away from those heartfelt personal stories?

AM: I’m lucky to have such amazing people in my life that I’ve learned so much from. Their strength and perseverance have made a huge impression on me, and definitely influenced the class divide in this story, and the hope for a better world. When I write stories, my wish is that people will find joy in them, whether that be simple entertainment or something more—like self reflection, inspiration, and a boost of hope.

HEM: James, your books often explore belonging, resilience, and finding your place in the world. Looking back at Wolf Club and your fabulous earlier novels, what personal experiences, family influences, and life lessons have most shaped the stories you tell?

JB: My stories always shed light on the underdog. They’re always about overcoming a difficult obstacle. I think being Native American makes it a goal of mine to show strength during hard times. My people survived a genocide. So, it’s my duty to give young readers books of hope and power, so they can have the tools to overcome their obstacles, too.

HEM: Publishing can be equal parts magical and maddening, am I right?! What have you learned about perseverance—from your own careers and from watching each other navigate the highs, lows, surprises, and disappointments that come with a creative life?

AM: We started our careers in Hollywood, and in comparison, publishing feels like a warm bath. Lol. But with all creative careers, I think the most important things are to keep going, whether things look amazing or scary, and to not make it mean too much either way.

JB: I’m really good at failing, so rejections and setbacks never bother me. I think of each failure as a step on the staircase toward success. So, failing gets me closer to where I want to go.

HEM: As fellow storytellers, what is something you admire most about the other’s writing? Is there anything you’ve learned from one another that has made its way into your own work?

AM: I love how he deals with hard issues, but imbues them with so much hope, whimsy, and humor. I’ve learned from him to not micromanage things so much and let them be as they are, both good and bad.

JB: I found school very difficult. I couldn’t learn the way other kids did. This made my grades very bad and learning very hard. I love how I learn new words from Adriana nearly every day. She’s super smart. It’s fun to pick her nose. I mean brain.

HEM: This is an exciting season for both of you. What events, appearances, or projects do you have coming up? And where can our readers follow you to learn more about your books and future adventures?

AM: My launch for Alchemy of Souls is Saturday, August 8th in Salem, Massachusetts, at the historic Hawthorne Hotel. It’s free and open to the public. After that, we will both be at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival in New York, and the Young Artists and Authors Showcase (YAAS) in Massachusetts. There’s more, but I’m typing this on my phone from Denmark and my vacation brain can’t remember. I’m also on Instagram and Facebook, and update my events there 🙂

JB: I have a book coming out next fall. I just became a published poet. And, I’m working on film stuff this year. Oh, and Wolf Club just won the 2026 Judy Lopez Memorial Award, which is really cool! And we are constantly doing school visits and book festivals. Hopefully, we will bump into each other at many in the future. Oh, and I’m on Instagram and Facebook.

HEM: Thank you both so much for joining me today on the blog, and for sharing a glimpse into your writing lives, your creative partnership, and the stories that continue to inspire. Come back again! (And for heaven’s sake, please come visit me in California!)

AM: Thank you for having us! It’s always a joy to chat with you, and we’d love to come visit 🙂

JB: California is my first home. We will come see you whenever you want! 🙂 Thank you. Love you. See you soon.

Readers, be sure to add Alchemy of Souls and Wolf Club to your reading lists, and keep an eye out for upcoming events from both Adriana and James!

Adriana Mather is a New York Times bestselling author who has written ALCHEMY OF SOULS and HOW TO HANG A WITCH, among other young adult and adult novels. She’s also a producer and actor, and lives in Massachusetts with her family and too many rescue animals.

James Bird (Grand Portage Ojibwe) is an award-winning author and film director. His middle grade books include THE BRAVE, THE SECOND CHANCE OF BENJAMIN WATERFALLS, NO PLACE LIKE HOME, and WOLF CLUB. He has written and directed seven films, and became a published poet in 2026. He lives in the Boston area with his wife, New York Times bestselling author Adriana Mather, where they raise their son Wolf, and all their rescue animals.