Get ready to learn more about the book Broad Awakening in this discussion with sapphic author Mickey Brent.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Mickey Brent about Broad Awakening, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the Greece category in the 2026 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write Broad Awakening?
Broad Awakening is the sequel to my first sapphic romance, Underwater Vibes.
The idea for both books came when I was working on a short story for an English composition course in college. The story was about a plump, shy girl—a loner—who learned to swim in a lake one summer. My writing teacher loved the story and urged me to keep writing. Twenty years later, while taking a creative writing course in Brussels, Belgium, I remembered that original essay. Each day, as I biked through Brussels in the rain, I jotted down new ideas for the story. Despite minor accidents with light poles and a parked car, I kept up my pace until I had birthed a unique, humorous tale. After thirteen years of tweaking, both books were at last ripe and ready to be devoured by readers who enjoy quirky, character-driven stories set in foreign locations.
While writing Broad Awakening, what spoke to me most was the vulnerability that Hélène, who is Belgian, felt when she realized she was in love with Sylvie, who comes from Greece. The idea that Hélène became physically and emotionally attracted to a woman contradicted her heteronormative way of existing. She felt shame, and excitement, yet she didn’t want to mess up her life, no matter how unsatisfactory it seemed. Hélène had no idea that she could love a woman in this way before she met Sylvie.
I feel that now is the time to tell this story because people like Hélène and Sylvie—two women from very different backgrounds who fall in love—are becoming increasingly marginalized in certain parts of the world.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
My favorite character in the book is Sylvie, a swimming instructor from Santorini, Greece. I admire Sylvie for many reasons. She loves sports, and is playful, and really cares about her ailing grandma, Yaya, who lives in Santorini. She takes Yaya’s advice, telling her to be courageous and follow her intuition instead of giving in to her doubts about chasing the wrong woman. She’s got a lot of humor, and she’s laid back in a comfy, yet sexy way. She looks great in jeans and a T-shirt. But there are sides to her that I can’t seem to figure out, no matter how much I try.
The similarities that I share with her are these: Sylvie is an amateur photographer, and so am I. She also loves food, and so do I. We’re total foodies. She competed in swim meets when she was younger, and so did I. But our similarities stop there.
The other main character, Hélène, resembles me only because I was a translator for many years in Brussels, and she’s a translator. Yet she’s much shyer than I am, and not very athletic, although she gains confidence and becomes an athlete as the story evolves.
Both Sylvie and Hélène adore cats and flowers, like me. They also appreciate poetry, although Hélène isn’t very talented in that department, though she thinks she is. I like to think that I’m a better poet than her. And Sylvie is a much stronger swimmer than I am.
What was the biggest challenge writing this book?
Like so many writers, I was a perfectionist throughout the writing process. I was also afraid of rejection. I guess, to some extent, this is still true. So, waiting so long to submit Broad Awakening and Underwater Vibes to agents and publishers slowed the process down. Over the past few years, I’ve worked hard to overcome these two issues. In hindsight, I wish I had taken more initiative to get my first two books published. Now that they have been released, I’ve learned my lesson and I’m much more confident. That is why I’ve decided to spend less time writing my third novel. So far, it’s taken only nine years… instead of thirteen!
How did you come up with the title for your book?
It took me a while to come up with this title. I wanted something that sounded catchy and original. My former publisher suggested using only two words, so I played around with a long list, scratching off potential matches until Broad Awakening hit the page. Immediately, I knew I’d found the perfect title.
Why? Because Hélène realizes she’s in love with Sylvie, yet she doesn’t know how to navigate an amorous relationship with her. How could this unexpected friendship, which started with admiration and turned to something much more, fit into her life? Like a blossoming flower, Hélène’s mind and body slowly awaken to amazing possibilities. She’s a broad who discovers hidden secrets to herself—and eternal love—at the same time.
What is your writing process like?
I’m a pantser (I write from the seat of my pants, rather than planning and plotting my stories). So, I don’t even know what’s coming until it literally shows up on the page. To me, this is the best part of the creative process, when I allow my intuition to run freely. I only rein it in when things get too complicated or unmanageable.
What I like best is the more I write, the more I learn about myself and my life. I have always had a passion for writing, even as a child. And when I started writing novels in addition to short stories, I realized that writing is a spectacular way to discover who I am and where I’m headed as a person. It unearths hidden passions, secrets, and, in my case, an imagination that seems to know no limits.
I often get asked if I’ve experienced the things my characters go through in my stories. It’s a valid question. Some authors experience nearly everything they write about, even in fiction. But most of what I write comes from some other place—some hidden source from within. It just bubbles up and I put it down on paper. That’s what I like best about this creative process.
Where do you usually write, and what do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
I love to sit on my living room sofa with a big mug of tea, my cat, my pen, and my notebook. Surrounded by soft pillows, I contemplate the scenery outside—white clouds flitting through the gray skies of Belgium—wondering what’s going to fill my notebook each day. I use an aromatherapy diffuser, so there’s lemongrass, lavender, or some other calming, purifying scent in the room. When it isn’t wintertime, and too cold, I open my window to let in fresh air. This is where I write, and it’s also my favorite place to read. Though in the evenings I often read lying down because I’m exhausted after getting up at dawn to write.
When it’s time to type up my stories, I move into my office. My desk is decorated with shells and stones from summer holidays at the beach, colorful candles, postcards, a statue of the Buddha, and photos of loved ones. My window overlooks a street lined with red brick houses and parked cars. One day, I’d like to gaze at the ocean instead of a busy street. But for now, I’m content with where I am.
What has helped or hindered you most when writing a book?
I had a dream that I truly believed in. That’s what helped me most when writing my first two books. I wanted to be a writer, so I wrote every day for many years. I didn’t give up on the story, even when I felt like it. I worked weekends and evenings, early in the morning, and late at night. I followed my intuition every step of the way. I didn’t listen to naysayers who told me two decades ago, “You’re only a beginner. You’ll never get published.” Likewise, I ignored those who said, “You’re not making any money on this. Why don’t you just give it up and get a real career?” They didn’t seem to notice that I was juggling several jobs while writing all these years.
I was stubborn and optimistic; I bought every worthy book on writing that I could get my hands on and devoured it with passion. Next, I joined a book club, then I joined a writing group, then a critique group. I kept taking classes on how to write short stories and screenplays. I wrote several of each, edited the stories until I was satisfied, then I sent them to publishers of anthologies, writing contests, magazines, etc. After quite a few rejections, several stories got published. That motivated me. Next, I started teaching creative writing classes, which motivated me even more, especially when my students started publishing their work. I learned the craft of writing even better by researching it, then instructing others on what I had learned.
To conclude, what helped me most was believing in my dream of becoming a published author and sustaining my intense determination to realize this dream. Working hard created a positive momentum that made it easier for me to write, edit, and submit my first book several times until I found a publisher that believed in my work. This momentum has also helped me market those first two books, now that they are out in the world.
Have you ever hated one of your characters?
I’ve never hated any of my characters, but one of them, Sylvie’s obnoxious ex, Lydia, showed up in the story while I was rewriting my seventh version of Underwater Vibes, the first book in this two-book series. Since I rewrote my manuscript thirteen times over a thirteen-year period, the fact that Lydia simply popped up on the page after seven years surprised me. To make things even more curious, I had never met anyone like Lydia before, and I had no clue how she got there. Somehow, she hijacked my fertile imagination with her despicable charm. It only took me a few pages to realize that Lydia’s a self-centered cheater and liar.
Surprises like these represent tremendous gifts to authors like me, who strive to tell meaningful stories with unexpected twists. Although I didn’t expect her to horn her way into Sylvie and Hélène’s love story, she did have a drastic way of adding tension to their relationship. I don’t want people to hate Lydia, but the way she treats Sylvie makes it difficult for readers to like her. For Broad Awakening, the sequel, Lydia briefly shows up, but I gave her less airtime. Otherwise, she would’ve completely stolen the show.
Are there any books or authors that inspired you to become a writer?
Several authors have inspired me to become a writer, such as: Julia Cameron, Mark Nepo, Isabel Allende, Paolo Coelho, Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Marc Levy, Jodi Picault, Sarah Waters, etc. I read in several languages, but most of the time, it’s in English.
I admire how Julia Cameron opens her readers’ eyes to all expressions of creativity and beauty in the most intriguing way. For example, through her own experiences, she introduced me to screenwriting and song writing. And I learned to love Taos, New Mexico—without ever visiting the place—because of the way she describes its scenery. In her books, she helps readers find their special place in life. She teaches them to learn to trust their intuition, the Universe, and all the pleasures and pains that come with being fully human. Her words are truly a gift to this planet. I am surely not the only reader who feels lucky to have picked up “The Artist’s Way” so long ago. I truly cherish this book and am thankful that Julia has been guided all these years to put her talents and insight to paper. All her books have made me a better writer.
Along similar lines, Mark Nepo is a philosopher, poet, teacher and well-published author whose words and inspiration have made a positive difference in my life. I have taught creative writing courses for years, and I often begin my classes by reciting one of Mark’s daily entries in “The Book of Awakening.” His exquisitely penned words set a calm, reflective atmosphere in the room. As his sentences unfold, the participants in my classes and I contemplate his literary mastery—the delicate way he illustrates the simplest acts of life. Not unlike famous Japanese haiku poets, Mark offers his readers an opportunity to pause and reflect. By exposing the raw beauty of everyday happenings, he incites readers to appreciate the most insignificant details of life’s beauty: leaves dropping in a mossy forest, a lone daisy, thoughtful glances, random acts of kindness by strangers. These are the kinds of insignificant details—which really aren’t insignificant—that make stories real.
Do you only read books in one genre or do you genre hop?
I like genre hopping. I often find myself reading historical fiction featuring well-written stories, with plenty of intrigue and romance, in faraway countries. Of course, I love sapphic romances; I can’t seem to get enough of those. I also enjoy reading memoirs, especially ones taking place in countries where I’ve lived. (I’ve lived in various countries, so I enjoy reading good stories about curious individuals living in foreign cultures, feasting on exotic food.)
I like reading books peppered with words in a foreign language that, hopefully, I can understand. Incidentally, all the books and stories that I write are like this. Maybe there’s too much French, or too much Greek, or Spanish, for some readers, but to me, carefully chosen foreign words add authenticity, richness, and warmth to each story.
An example of what I like to read is “The Paris Wife” by Paula McLain. It’s a New York Times Bestseller and I thought it was amazing. It’s a story about a couple living in Paris in the 1920s and it particularly caught my eye because I used to live in Paris myself. It’s about Ernest Hemingway and his first wife during the period when Hemingway finds his voice as a writer, which particularly intrigued me. It’s very well written, with powerful dialogue and colorful, dramatic scenes. As a reader, I was drawn into the story on every page.
