Jennifer Sodini is an author and culture journalist who has been reading oracle cards since she was a tween. That lifelong journey between worlds has matured into mass-market decks with Hachette and Chronicle Prism, translations in French and Russian, features in Cosmopolitan, and bylines in Rolling Stone and SPIN.
Her fiction is a blend of literary horror and speculative thriller, where she examines predatory trends and the search for meaning in an increasingly artificial world. She has spent over a decade working inside the wellness industrial complex and taken the gonzo approach to mystical traditions from East to West. She has traveled through forbidden Tibet, slept in the Great Pyramid, accidentally received the Tao, and sat with a wide variety of sacred medicines along the way.
Currently, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband, her daughter, two cats, and a praying mantis. She believes the human imagination is our most precious gift, and is much funnier in person.
Author Q&A
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Jennifer Sodini, and as of today I’ve written six publications that have been published by Running Press, Chronicle Prism and translated into both French (TreDaniel Editions) and Russian (Popuri).
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last guidebook is called the Feline Mystique Oracle and was inspired by my love, and reverence, of cats. I believe cats are very special animals that have so much to teach us humans, and I wrote the book as a fun and accessible guide exploring different breeds, myths and pop culture references to help bring light and magic onto everyone’s path.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write everything on pen and paper first (as much as I can), before I transfer it to my Google Docs.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Octavia E. Butler, Mona Awad, Suzanne Collins, Jon Ronson, Erik Davis, and Mitch Horowitz are all authors that I look up to. They cover a wide variety of ground, but manage to see the world so deeply and humanize the depths and darknesses we navigate in tandem with the magic and wonder.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a screenplay (loosely based on a true story about a famous UFO prophet), and have two novels under my belt that I’m actively querying to fiction agents. One is a Romantic Horror about consumption and romance in the age of AI where even love can be a deep fake. And the other is a Psychological Thriller about the perils, promises and predators in the psychedelic “healing” space
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do this for the love of writing. If you’re doing it to get rich, find fame, or gain notoriety, then your’e in it for the absolute wrong reasons.
What is your favorite word, and why?
Hiraeth. Because it perfectly captures the feeling of homesickness, or nostalgia, for a time or idea, that may not have ever TRULY existed.
What are you reading now?
The Castle by Jon Ronson
Which famous person, living or dead, would you like to meet and why?
Jim Henson. To thank him for being an inspiration on my path and for all of the imagination, wonder and whimsy he brought into the world.
How can readers discover more about you and you work?
They can follow me on social media @jennifersodini or go to my website jennifersodini.com. My Substack, EDGING, is probably the best place, though, to learn more about my writing and what’s on the horizon in this next chapter of my career: jennifersodini.substack.com
Feline Mystique: A Cat Lover’s Deck and Guidebook is available for purchase on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Feline-Mystique-Lovers-Deck-Guidebook/dp/B0FGX7TXGS