Fellow authors have described Maggie Yore as a unicorn—she has a knack for numbers and words.
Though she always loved to write, it wasn’t until she became a business owner a few years ago that she got the numbers part down.
Turning pages
Buy Maggie Yore’s debut novel on Amazon, her website, or at local bookstores and Barnes & Noble. For updates on her future publications, follow her on Instagram @maggieyoreauthor.
“I had to be everything for that business,” Yore told the Sun.
She owned an eco-friendly cleaning company during the pandemic, managing everything from the marketing to QuickBooks. Yore tripled revenue within two years before selling it in 2022 and getting a job in accounting. Operating the business took a lot out of her, and she became very ill.
“Mentally. Physically. Spiritually,” she said. “Running a business by yourself can destroy you.”
Throughout the turmoil of the pandemic and her illness, Yore started writing down her feelings, which was nothing new. She recently unearthed her first book, which she wrote at age 11, she said.
And now, her first published novel, When She Breaks, was released in July, stemming from some of her pandemic writings.
“I wrote a book about how I felt, and I made a story out of it,” she said. “It came from very traumatic childhood memories and also just going through therapy.”
Knowing how difficult it is to run a company, Yore felt it was important to involve local businesses, all located in Santa Maria, in the making of When She Breaks.
“Being a business owner and recognizing the impact that you can have on a small community, it’s kind of your duty to take care of your community,” Yore said. “We all have to work together and lift each other up.”
The cover of her novel was painted by Pixie Thorpe Designs, formatted by Local Copies Etc., and photographed by Arrow Photo. The vivid, colorful imagery on the cover contrasts with some of the dark tones in the novel, but Yore wants to remind readers that life has precious moments.
“Seeing a beautiful sunset, seeing a gorgeous tree takes you out of your anxiety, and it takes you out of your depression,” Yore said. “It grounds you.”
The story follows protagonist Soshana who navigates self-love, trauma, panic attacks, and therapy after she moved to Michigan to care for her alcoholic mother. She also finds new friendships and falls for the right person at the wrong time. To survive, Soshana must rediscover herself.
Yore remembered her writing process as utter chaos. With no idea what she was doing, the author downloaded an audio book for guidance on how to write a novel.
“I tried to follow those steps, and I think I did a great job at it,” Yore said.
Part of her writing process also involved music. She created a Spotify playlist with some of the songs that inspired the story and connect to Soshana’s struggles, Yore said.
Her writing style is emotional, allowing readers to feel sympathy for the characters. While Soshana is fictional, there are some similarities between herself and the character. She’s felt some of the emotions that Soshana felt.
“I wanted whoever’s reading to know that they’re not alone in this,” Yore said. “I wanted, toward the end of the book at least, for them to feel like they’re worth loving.”
Above all, the point of the book is to show what it’s like to live with PTSD, depression, and anxiety, Yore said.
“Everything can’t be rainbows and sunshine. It has to be real,” she said.
Throughout the process, the author gained confidence in herself. She used to feel imposter syndrome because she couldn’t afford to finish college, casting self-doubt on her merit as a professional writer. But now, she’s on a roll.
Look out for two new books by Yore in the future: Run! Run! Run!, a thriller filled with female rage that she’s “having a lot of fun with,” and The Sound of Magic, an emotionally powerful memoir.
Yore is also working on a children’s book to accompany her memoir, and she’s collaborating with Pixie Thorpe again for the illustrations.
“I feel so damn proud of myself,” Yore said.
Reach Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 18 – Sep 25, 2025.