Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Keira North, author of the newly-released To Bloom Again. To Bloom Again is now available at all major book retailers.

Thriller Magazine: To Bloom Again intricately weaves together romance, crime, and technology. What inspired you to blend these elements, and how do you balance the thriller aspects with the deeply personal stories of the characters?

I’m not a fan of putting stories into neat little boxes, so I wanted to write something that blends a few different genres: romance because I’m a sucker for a well-written love story (or three), tech because I’m a computer nerd myself, and thriller because it’s always fun to surprise my readers and keep them on the edge of their seat.

At the same time, I wanted my characters to feel like real people rather than characters moving through a scripted plot, so I wove every facet of them into the story: their past, their present, who they are, what they want, who they love… and all of these things are connected. For example, Jon wants to succeed as a politician because he has a deep-seated need for parental approval, and this is what his father figure wants for him. Luis is fiercely protective of Pewü, the biotech research hub established by his late mother, because he wants to preserve her legacy.

TM: Meghan Rose, the bodyguard protagonist, navigates both physical and emotional battles in a high-stakes world. How did you develop her character, and what challenges did you face in portraying her as both a strong protector and someone vulnerable to forbidden love?

With Meghan, I wanted to show that there is life after trauma, after you almost lost yourself. She survives a gunshot wound, but it leaves her irrevocably changed. She can’t be a part of the same criminal justice system that let her down, her body can’t do the things she’s used to, and she has deep-seated anxiety. After a while, she finds a new purpose as a bodyguard, but that comes with its own challenges: some of the famous people she’s protecting are insufferable, and she’s come close to b!tch-slapping a client more than once.

As for her relationships, Meghan needs to realize that she’s more than “damaged goods”. Rémi loves her, Jon Hale is attracted to her, but it takes her a while to start believing that she really is worthy of it, that she is so much more than the bad things that happened to her.

TM: Polyamory and LGBTQ+ themes are central to the story, especially in the dynamics between Meghan, Rémi, and the other characters. What message or perspective were you aiming to share through these relationships?

I wanted to do my part in normalizing polyamory as a valid alternative to monogamy between consenting adults. In my mind, polyamory is also the ultimate “f*ck you” to the patriarchy (which, at the end of the day, is all about men’s control of women’s bodies and affection, isn’t it?) Being a part of a polycule can be a wonderful experience, but I think this lifestyle gets an unfairly bad rap in mainstream media.

As for LGBTQ+ themes, I’m queer myself, so I wasn’t about to write anything else 🙂 I like stories where gay, lesbian, and bi/pansexual people are allowed to be more than just their sexuality. Where their character arcs don’t center on the trauma of coming out or being hate-crimed or any of the other things our community is sadly so, so familiar with. While I do touch on some of these themes, they’re not front and center.

TM: Seattle and Chile play pivotal roles as settings in the novel. What drew you to these locations, and how did their unique atmospheres influence the tone and progression of the story?

I wanted two locations that contrasted nicely with each other, so I knew I was going for two cities in North and South America respectively.

Seattle is a beautiful place with a thriving LGBTQ+ scene. It also gave us Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and Soundgarden (RIP Chris Cornell). While its crime and politics are entirely fictional in To Bloom Again, I worked with a local consultant to learn more about the real-life locations I used. I still hesitated to say this or that neighborhood has a crime problem, or that people over here are snobs who look down on the people over there, but I hope my readers understand the need to take certain liberties that make the story work.

As for Chile, it was a no-brainer: I love the history, I love the wine, and I worked with a wonderful consultant who told me all about its contemporary culture and happenings. (As a history nerd, I’d be remiss not to note here that there are quite a few parallels between Chilean and Romanian history, like how both of our countries fought for independence from a colonial power, and both suffered and eventually overthrew authoritarian regimes in the 20^th century.)

TM: The novel explores themes like corruption, secrets, and personal reinvention. What do you hope readers take away from the characters’ journeys and the moral dilemmas they face in their quests for love and purpose?

The core theme is that there is life after loss, which is why the logline is, We rise from the ashes of the people we once were. Everyone in To Bloom Again has lost something or someone they loved. They fight for a second chance—whether it’s a new love, political success, or even crafting a new identity from what’s left of the old one.

I also wanted to show that people and relationships are rarely black-and-white. It’s always complicated; there’s no such thing as a 100% “good” or “bad” person. Everyone is shaped by the people and things around them. Where do you draw the line between what you were made to be and what you wanted to become?

At the end of the day, no matter how much you’ve lost or how far you think you’ve fallen, you can always find a way to rise again.

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