Meet Camille Cabrera

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Camille Cabrera a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Camille, so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?

I like to consider myself a reader first and an author second. As a reader, I spend countless hours experiencing the perspectives of strangers. Reading fiction expands my empathy while connecting me to people I don’t even know. It’s an excellent exercise in navigating alternative experiences.

I now apply my learned empathy to real-world situations. In such a technologically-focused world, it’s easy to accept disconnect as the norm. I’ve found it’s necessary to actively combat trained passivity with learned empathy. Confronting passive behavioral patterns (using empathy), allows me to actively navigate in the bigger picture.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

As a mystery author, I’m encouraged to play. Seriously. I put together fictional stories capable of connecting with strangers while also provoking unexpected questions. Ideally, most questions are answered by the end of the novel. Some broader questions? Well, I like to let the reader decide. Still, I usually ask questions before creatively offering answers. Some call it closure.

I’ve published 10 mystery novels ranging from cozy mystery to noir. Each book becomes a new opportunity to foster my sense of curiosity and play.

Perhaps one of the aspects that makes writing stories so natural for me, comes from the understanding that I’m writing to build connection. I want to engage with strangers as well as myself on a deeper level. In order to get there, I like to start at the beginning. I embrace my willingness to play kindly with others as well as with my mind.

I’m extremely excited for the second half of 2025. I have three new mystery books scheduled for release during the final six months of the year!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Excellent question. I’d say this answer shifts slightly as I age. My life experiences become richer and more complex, adding an added level of depth. With writing, expression has always been the goal.

At this point, I’ve lived a very unexpected life, colored with moments where I’ve encountered both the worst parts of humanity as well as the best bits. To stay dedicated, I heavily foster my own curiosity, grit, and grace.

Curiosity for the world as well as the more elusive, eloquent written word. It takes a sharp mind to convey an imaginary world to a stranger.

Grit for the craft as well as for larger life-related circumstances. As it stands, staying dedicated to the craft (even in times of uncertainty) requires determination and discipline. I’ve had to dig deep during unexpected moments of loss to stay true to my larger path. When everything feels like it’s ending, it takes a lot of courage to pick up the pen and start carving out a new beginning.

Grace for what can be accomplished in the moment and for what I can achieve over time. The world can be a challenging place, but that does not mean I want to blink or close my eyes to reality. I’m perfectly happy to stare it back in the eyes. I refuse to let it dilute my willingness to create. I try to move truthfully and kindly through the world while using my life experiences to inform my art.

In terms of advice, I write even when all greatness seems to be falling away from the heavens above (metaphorically, of course). In moments of chaos, I’ve found that taking a few moments to read or write helps patch up a crumbling sky.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

I’d spend it improving our communal capacity for empathy. My journey through life means nothing if I can’t take the time to improve it for other travelers I meet along the way.

As it stands, I try to temper my expectation for seemingly endless mortality. I’ve yet to find someone who makes it out of this journey alive. That being said, the length of time in itself shouldn’t matter. Even when we’re young, the next day is never guaranteed. I’ve found that we’re always just one unfortunate encounter (with circumstances or people) away from having our adventure cut short. Now, that knowledge isn’t to instill fear, but to impress upon others a sense of hunger for kindness and timeliness.

Create your art today! Start your longstanding creative project now! The best way to claim your future is to start building it in the present.

Thank you for interviewing me. It was a pleasure.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: thecamillecabrera

Image Credits

The Last Bookstore Studio City