Author Q&A With G. M. DiDesidero
G. M. DiDesidero is the Chickasaw author of Undrowned, a YA fantasy crafted entirely by Chickasaw creators, blending Chickasaw and Choctaw stories with modern storytelling. DiDesidero brings readers an enemies-to-friends tale where powerful beings quietly shape the world, much like the Greek gods of Percy Jackson. Beyond her writing, DiDesidero champions fellow writers and is dedicated to uplifting First American voices. Meet G.M.:
Did you always want to be an author? I was writing long before I ever dared to call myself a “writer.” Words were the lens through which I filtered the world, a way of translating experience into meaning. It wasn’t until the strange stillness of quarantine that I finally permitted myself to listen to the stories crowding my imagination and to put them on the page.
What is your most recent book, and what inspired you to write it? My debut novel, Undrowned, braids together my tribe’s traditional Chickasaw stories into modern YA fantasy. In marrying old with new, I took some creative liberties, but Undrowned honors its origins while shaping an epic that belongs wholly to today’s readers.
How do you hope your book uplifts those who read it? At its core, Undrowned is an enemies-to-friends story. Jasper and Harissa, born into enemy clans, think very differently. After Harissa testifies against Jasper in court, there’s a moment where they could easily become arch enemies, culminating in a “western showdown.” Unexpectedly, one offers an alliance, and they choose to work towards trust and friendship. I hope readers find it redemptive that even in a world divided by bias, we can choose differently.
What are you most excited about with this book? I’m thrilled to bring Chickasaw stories into a space where they’re not shadowed by colonial narratives. In Undrowned, powerful characters from Chickasaw and Choctaw traditions quietly work to sustain Terra, much like Greek mythology underpins the Percy Jackson series. I’m honored to offer modern YA readers a fresh lens through which Indigenous stories can shine.
How do you handle setbacks and criticism? I view setbacks and criticisms as an inevitable part of the publishing industry’s mathematics. Bigger setbacks will find me snarkily whispering under my breath for a while, but I eventually shake it off and return to the table. I ask: What can I learn and apply? Eat the meat, spit out the bones—that’s the only approach that leads to growth.
Being an author today is like running a business. How do you manage all your publicity and social media while maintaining high reader engagement? Exactly. It’s entrepreneurship in every sense. I schedule “admin” days for promotions, newsletters, content planning, and similar tasks. I stay up to date in the industry, support other writers, and work locally through my role with the Brevard Authors Society. And my incredible partners—Chickasaw Press and Smith Publicity—help me prioritize my efforts.
How do you hold yourself accountable and achieve the goals that you set forth? I break my goals down into benchmarks, then steps. Deadlines help unlock my creative energy, so I’m usually running on a time deficit. I find that my best writing occurs when my creativity kicks into overdrive to meet the deadline.
What do you find most fulfilling in the career that you’ve chosen? I get a serious writer’s high when readers share how the characters or themes of Undrowned resonate with them. I’m honored to know that my story finds a home in readers’ minds.
What book uplifts you? Most recently, Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger. The Lipan Apache representation threaded through her writing inspires a yearning in me for community. Anyone who has ever been homesick understands the universal ache for the places we belong. It’s a cathartic longing for identity that carries us back home and definitely uplifts.
Anything else you’d like to share with your readers? Undrowned was written, edited, illustrated, marketed, and formatted by Chickasaw tribal members. To me, that means readers stepping into Harissa and Jasper’s world are also supporting a living, breathing community of Indigenous artists and professionals. First American voices are still here. We’re creating and thriving.
Connect with G.M., learn more about her story, and get her book via her website.
