Today we’d like to introduce you to KM Cookie.
Hi KM, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a sculptor of words who specializes in magical realism and literary fiction that bridges cultures. Growing up with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, books became my companions and music my sanctuary—from the political discourse of birds in The Once and Future King to the primal strength of Ayla in Clan of the Cave Bear. Each note became a friend, each syllable a companion.
Music is the lifeblood of my narrative—classic rock that thumped through our Midwestern community became my counterpoint to transcend boundaries. My path from a vanilla-flavored neighborhood where conformity was the highest virtue to welcoming global perspectives wasn’t linear. I was a misfit dreaming of worlds beyond white picket fences. At twenty, I picked a spot on a map and made the journey to Long Beach, California—a decision that changed everything.
Based in Los Angeles, I’ve found this city’s vibrant cultural diversity mirrors the worlds I create in my fiction. Through extensive travel and immersion in cultural diversity, I learned how each tradition provides a healing canvas. My work explores the spaces where diverse worlds converge: Christian contemplation meets Daoist simplicity, Mayan wisdom dances with contemporary manifestation. I write stories that challenge conventional wisdom and honor ancient knowledge, meeting authentic people whose lives inform my characters’ journeys.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a high-functioning, dysfunctional, I write to rewrite—not just stories, but the very narratives that have shaped me. My rebellion wasn’t loud; it was a quiet question, a journey to seek out different voices.
Two years ago, I declared my intention to become not just someone who wanted to write, but an author. The real turning point came when my son introduced me to James Clear’s Atomic Habits—I needed to change my identity, believe in who I was, not who I wanted to be. Then came the UCLA Creative Writing Certificate Program. Though I was at least twice as old as my classmates, my instructor, Tempany Deckert, saw this as a strength: “You have something only you can say. Use your experience to your advantage.”
I carried my storyboard everywhere, playing with sticky notes, rearranging scenes until I found my “Dark Night of the Soul”. But after years of missteps and taking care of others first, I finally had to put myself and my dream first. As a debut author over 50 in an industry that often favors younger voices, I’m proving it’s never too late to pursue your creative dreams. I learned to subdue the harsh inner critic and continue, discovering that other writers think like me—in random thoughts that don’t always make sense, but come together in the end, making it all worthwhile.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a career mentor, life coach, and growth mindset advocate, I see the transformative power of creation in action. I’m a certified True Colors communication facilitator who has spoken at national conferences on leadership, resilience, and empowerment. Serving as both compass and catalyst, I ask individuals a single question that guides them from where they are to where they dream of being.
I love to collaborate with other artists—whether musicians or visual artists. The chapter headings for Song of Hummingbird Highway feature photography by artists I’ve met throughout my journey in Belize and Los Angeles, weaving their visual stories into my narrative tapestry.
My debut novel, Song of Hummingbird Highway, explores betrayal, sacrifice, cultural heritage, spiritual awakening, and the transformative power of love. Set between Los Angeles and Belize’s sacred caves, the story follows Terri—a Midwestern music lover who must navigate Garifuna knowledge, Mayan cosmology, and ancestral traditions to save her son from forces she doesn’t understand. When her son vanishes, Terri, a woman with more bravado than self-esteem, must track him through folklore and mysterious cenotes, guided by music that connects past wounds to future healing. In a journey where maternal love becomes the most dangerous magic, she discovers a powerful truth: Pain can become her greatest teacher.
Through my weighted pen, I initiate spaces where vulnerability is welcome, truth can breathe, and rebels like me might find refuge.
Like the pink sparkle dress I once dreamed of wearing for others but ultimately chose to wear for myself, my art is an assertion that our stories are worthy of celebration on their own terms. The pink sparkle Chuck Taylor shoes I found at a thrift shop have become my “social media stars”—mirroring my author journey while facilitating connections, engaging people, and sharing meaningful life lessons. Every sentence is an act of rebellion, every paragraph a step toward self-discovery.
Song of Hummingbird Highway releases February 14, 2026, but the real story isn’t in its pages—it’s in the courage to follow your dreams, to be vulnerable, to keep going even when the path isn’t clear.
Are you creating?
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
see above.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.areyoucreating.com/
- Instagram: @kmcookieauthor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimmcookie/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/km-cookie-05632557/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KMCookieAuthor
