Cindy Kehagiaras

I attribute much of my drive to the entrepreneurial and capitalist mindset I grew up with. My mother was a strong business-minded influence, while my father embraced the philosophy of measuring success through achievement and material accomplishment. I still approach my writing career with that same sales-oriented discipline by monitoring my book sales and increasing my social-media presence when a book needs more visibility.

At the same time, I have learned to step back from the numbers and look at the bigger picture. For me, success is also about raising good humans, being a good friend, and appreciating the life I have been given. That balance between ambition and perspective continues to shape how I approach my work and my life.

I was fortunate to grow up with a mother who was a strong example of what it meant to pursue opportunities without believing I had to make myself small. She succeeded in a male-dominated industry and demonstrated that women could build careers, take up space, and pursue ambitious goals.

Later in my writing journey, another important form of encouragement came from an author who encouraged me to enter a pitch contest. I followed that advice, won the contest, and received mentorship that helped me move forward as a writer. Those experiences reinforced for me how important it is to recognize opportunities, take the chance, and allow other people to encourage you when they see potential in your work.

I would encourage young women to tell their stories in their own voices and not wait until they feel perfectly qualified or completely ready. My own writing journey began after my 50th birthday, and I learned that creativity does not have an expiration date.

I would also encourage women to build relationships with other women in the industry. The community of women I connected with through publishing became an important source of encouragement, mentorship, editing, formatting, proofreading, cover design, and friendship. Supporting one another can create opportunities that would be much harder to find alone.

The publishing industry is changing rapidly, particularly with the growth of digital publishing, audiobooks, social media, and artificial intelligence. These developments create opportunities for independent authors to reach readers directly, publish their work in different formats, and build communities around their stories.

At the same time, I am concerned about the increasing amount of AI-generated content, particularly in romance and romantasy. I believe this can make it more difficult for independent authors to stand out and can overwhelm readers and bestseller lists with content that does not necessarily reflect the same human creative process. I see an important opportunity in continuing to emphasize authentic storytelling, distinctive voices, and the human experience behind creative work.

Creativity, authenticity, relationships, family, friendship, and maintaining perspective are important to me. I value the freedom to tell stories in my own voice and to create characters and relationships that reflect experiences that are often underrepresented in traditional romance, particularly stories involving women and couples over 40.

I also value community and generosity. Supporting other women writers has been an important part of my own experience in publishing, and I believe that encouragement can make a meaningful difference in someone's creative journey. Outside of work, family, friendship, raising good humans, and appreciating the life I have are central to how I define what matters.