Brionni Nwosu
Author Interview - Brionni Nwosu
Author of The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter
A young woman at the crossroads of life and death embarks on an extraordinary journey across time in an epic novel about beauty, hope, endurance, and endless loves.
Most humans cower in the face of Death. Not Nella May Carter. She sees him. She doesn’t hide. Instead, she bargains.
Born enslaved in eighteenth-century Georgia, Nella still believes in the will to survive amid the most untenable of conditions, in the glory of life, and in the ultimate goodness of the human race. She asks that Death, doubtful and curious, allow her to live long enough to prove it. He’s giving Nella all the time in the world.
Challenged, Nella embarks on an epic journey across the globe and centuries. Each new incarnation records the joys and losses, and the friendships and heartbreaks, throughout her lifetimes. When she meets handsome and passionate professor Sebastian Moore―the first man to whom she has ever revealed her secrets―Nella yearns for the mortality that escapes her. She can’t bear to leave this love behind.
As Death keeps watch, has Nella’s journey come to an end? Or is a new one just beginning?
Author Interview - Brionni Nwosu
Author I draw inspiration from:
Camille Pagan, 100%. More than just her words, I appreciate her coaching and support of writers. Years before we worked together, I gained so much insight into the mindset that it takes to be a career author. One thing I really love about Camille is that she models what a sustainable writing life looks like. Not the overnight success story (i.e., fantasy), but the book-by-book, year-by-year career that’s built on intention. Watching her made the author path feel less mysterious and more doable, like, “Oh, I can build this too.” Of her books, my favorite was Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties, and I’m looking forward to her upcoming title, Dog Person, out April 2026.
Author Interview - Brionni Nwosu | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
In bed. Ask my family and they’d say that’s my favorite spot in the house! As my father would say, they don’t have to look to find me. A perfect day for me would be a crisp, rainy day with no real plans, a good book, cozy socks, and a gyro mix plate from the cafe.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Initially, a Jack Reacher or Inspector Gadget came to mind to get me out of that elevator, but in the end, I’d pick Adam from my own book. He’s not a lead, but he’s the character closest to my heart with his irreverence for life and just-try-it attitude. We’d spend the time looking through the sketches of his latest design line, cracking jokes, and enjoying the time, because what were we going to do anyway?
Author Interview - Brionni Nwosu | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I was teaching 5th grade in Arkansas when I came across an article about Peter Pan and its author. The piece explained that the rights had been left to a children’s hospital in England, and it struck me that even though the author had been gone for nearly a century, his idea was still generating income and shaping imaginations. That realization stopped me. I’ve always been a reader, and I love that books allow us to learn from people who may no longer be here—their insights, their wisdom, their worlds. That was the first moment when I thought: Oh. You can create something that matters AND makes income beyond your lifetime.
Of course, at the beginning, you have a bit of naïveté. You assume your first book will be a bestseller and every deal will be for a million dollars (Hey, a girl can dream lol), but I appreciated my very quick crash back to reality and the ensuing journey of writing as I’ve truly come to love is the process: honing my craft, studying storytelling, attending writing groups, reading craft books, and learning how to express myself more clearly and truthfully. I enjoy building characters and entire worlds, but I’m also deeply aware that writing is a business.
I also know I only have a finite amount of time on this earth (as does everyone), and I can’t write every idea. So part of my author journey has been learning to be strategic about the stories I choose to tell—deciding which books deserve years of my attention, which projects align with my long-term goals, and which ideas will have the most meaningful impact. Being an author, for me, is the balance between creative joy and intentional decision-making.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I’m an ebook girlie as I am terrible about getting books back to the library. It’s so nice to have them appear in my Kindle off the waitlist and to have hundreds of books on one device. I think of books like inventory and only buy the physical copy of my favorites, which I use to study craft and technique. I’ve only started getting into audiobooks, thanks to my Spotify account, usually for books I need to read for book clubs that aren’t available yet at the library. It has been nice to use for immersive experiences, where I can listen and read simultaneously.
The last book I read:
The last book I finished was Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby, which I recommended to my dad. I enjoyed the characters and their arc of understanding each other and becoming friends, along with the book’s honest, authentic focus on often-taboo topics. Next up is Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, also for my book group, The Virtual Book Club for Black Women.
Author Interview - Brionni Nwosu | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
It’s a blend of both, and honestly, very redundant. I’m a big list-maker, so putting my thoughts down on paper helps me process and organize everything. But I also like having a digital version where I can store links, research, character notes, and draft sections. Right now, I’m working on streamlining my approach so I spend less time obsessing over systems and more time focusing on actual output.
At the moment, I’m worldbuilding for a new cozy mystery, and I’m experimenting with starting from the victim and the villain before I ever write chapter one. I took a class with Jane Kalmes that reframed mysteries for me: it’s really the villain’s story that the sleuth stumbles into. That shift has made the early stages much more fun—I’m getting to know my victim, figuring out who might want him gone, and letting those dynamics shape the entire world and its day-to-day life, to hopefully avoid getting stuck in chapter four.
My writing process is part psychologist, part detective. I always begin with a character’s background and emotional history: their astrological sign, birth order, family beliefs about money and marriage, whether they were raised to overachieve—anything that helps me understand who they are and how their past shapes their present. Those details reveal their motivations, fears, lies, and the choices they make.
I’m also like chunking the scenes I have to write and don’t worry about word count anymore. I’m more interested in discovering which words are the story and which ones aren’t. I can write a thousand words that ultimately don’t matter, but finishing a scene tells me I’ve moved the story forward.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Clover, from the Collected Regrets of Clover, is one of my all-time favorite reads from last year. I loved her strategic and clear-eyed approach when dealing with death and the importance of not living a life of regrets or full of confessions. I’d love to read her journals or pick her brain about all the advice she’s received and hang out with her and her neighbor, Leo.
Author Interview - Brionni Nwosu | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
An event planner/host! My dream is to host bookish events at a rural creative retreat where girls and groups can come, eat yummy snacks, create cute crafts, and read to their hearts' content.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
I love the shape and silhouettes of dresses and gowns from the `1940s with a cinched waist and flowing skirt, which look best on my body type. I love the glam of the era, with big hair, bold lips, and the dramatic draping of formal gowns. I love the scenes in classic movies where the actresses wear long, sheer robes with trimmed sleeves and silky nightgowns, and I've been on the hunt for just the right one for a while. I’ve been upgrading my wardrobe over the past year, moving away from all the leggings and t-shirts I acquired during the pandemic, and instead leaning into pieces that make me feel elegant, bold, and intentional—like the version of myself I’m growing into.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Lisbon, Portugal, is high on my list, as a very dear friend traveled there for several weeks this year to learn jewelry-making and raved about the culture and experience. I’d love to spend a few weeks traveling across the EU to experience what I imagine to be a more languid pace of life. I have another friend who lives in a small town in Italy and she makes long afternoons of eating seasonal dishes and produce seem a simple delight.
My signature drink:
A sugary, sweet pink cosmopolitan–the most magical concoction, sure to lift my spirits and my mood. I first had one when we were in Vegas, in the weeks before our wedding, at a TPT conference, and I was STRESSED with all the planning and everything that had to get done. My husband asked the bartender for something sweet, and boom, the mood shifted and the night was saved.
Favorite artist:
Right now, I’m obsessed with Zara Larsson and her summertime, dolphin-fueled European tour on TikTok. I love the videos that showcase her in prior years as a traditional pop artist and juxtapose them with her appeal now–it’s honestly like watching two different people. It’s fascinating to see how the internet has enthusiastically responded to her embrace of color, play, kook, and charisma. I love seeing people excel in their field and the dedication they have to their craft, which makes me evaluate how strategically I’m approaching mine.
Number one on my bucket list:
I’m looking forward to more annual family trips. Last year, we traveled to Toronto, and this past summer, we visited Mexico for their first resort trip. Next year, we’re continuing the trend with two more trips. A big goal is to take the kids to Nigeria in two years to visit their grandfather’s hometown and family home, and to continue exposing our children to different cultures and paces of life in countries like Thailand, Japan, Greece, Costa Rica, Portugal, Spain, and Morocco.
Anything else you'd like to add:
I’m excited for readers to meet the characters I’ve been living with for more than three years. I hope people walk away from my books feeling seen, curious, and more connected to their own stories. A big part of my work—whether fiction or nonfiction—is about community, compassion, and what it means to live a life that feels aligned and intentional. Next year, I plan to launch small communities centered on accountability for the connected and creative life you want, and one focused on craft, studying books and stories to build skill and stronger sentences. I’ll be announcing all the opportunities to join on my Substack, Brionni.substack.com
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/brionniwrites/
https://www.tiktok.com/@brionniwrites
https://www.brionninwosu.com/
About Brionni Nwosu:
Brionni Nwosu
Brionni Nwosu is a writer, educator, and joyful creative based in the vibrant city of Nashville, where she lives with her husband and their three children. After more than a decade teaching students and mentoring teachers, she shifted her storytelling craft from a side passion to center stage. A 2021 We Need Diverse Books mentee under Rajani LaRocca, Brionni writes bold, heartfelt fiction that explores connection, purpose, and what it means to live a life well. Learn more at www.brionninwosu.com.
