From Personal Scars to the Page: An Interview with Nikolas Pleiadi, Author of "In Powder Blue"

Nikolas Pleiadi's debut novel, "In Powder Blue," is a raw and compelling journey into the heart of post-9/11 Long Island, exploring the ripple effects of grief, addiction, and buried secrets. We sat down with Pleiadi to discuss the personal origins of his powerful story, his writing process, and the unexpected twists that brought his book to life.

The Spark of a Generation's Pain

When asked about the genesis of the book, Pleiadi's answer is deeply personal. "This book’s been living in me for years," he shares. "After 9/11, I watched my generation spiral—addiction, silence, families breaking apart. I was part of it." For Pleiadi, writing "In Powder Blue" was an act of reckoning, a way to "finally face that wreckage, make sense of it, and give a voice to people—friends I lost—who never got the chance to tell their stories."

This deep connection is most evident in the book's protagonist, Vincent LoCicero. Pleiadi admits, "Vincent is me. Not literally, but his pain, his silence, his need to escape—all of that comes from my own life." He notes that while some elements are fictional, the core of Vincent's journey is rooted in his own experiences.

A World Built from Memory

The setting of "In Powder Blue" is as much a character as Vincent himself. The novel's gritty, authentic portrayal of Levittown, Long Island, didn't require extensive research; it came from Pleiadi's own lived experience. "I grew up in Levittown—in the neighborhoods, around the addiction, in the shadows of organized crime," he explains. "I wanted to peel back the curtain and show the Levittown that doesn’t make the brochures—the version that shaped me, bruises and all."

Balancing a full-time job and family life, Pleiadi’s writing routine was far from typical. "I wrote this while working full-time as a Senior Project Manager in construction and raising four kids," he says. The bulk of the novel was written late at night, a testament to his determination to tell this story.

The Rewards and Surprises of Unearthing a Story

Despite the challenges, Pleiadi describes the writing process as less about creation and more about discovery. The most rewarding part, he says, was "uncovering it. It felt less like I wrote it and more like I unearthed something buried inside me... a story waiting to come out."

Even Pleiadi was surprised by where the story took him. The ending, in particular, wasn't planned. "It just unfolded on its own and felt right," he reveals. This intuitive process is a hallmark of his "pantser" (someone who writes by the seat of their pants) approach, driven by gut feeling rather than a strict outline.

On the Writing Process and Craft

The Late-Night Creative Habit

Pleiadi's creative process is uniquely intertwined with music and a late-night schedule. He wrote the entire book to a specific playlist, a blend of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Eminem, and The Rolling Stones. He describes his method as that of a "mad scientist," syncing scenes to songs and layering in symbolism and "Easter eggs" for readers to discover.

"I wrote whenever I could steal time—mostly at night after the kids were in bed, headphones on, coffee in hand," Pleiadi says of his routine.

Intuition Over Instruction

When it comes to advice for other writers, Pleiadi is a firm believer in trusting one's own voice. "Don’t let other authors be your compass; they’re not your audience," he advises. "Trust your intuition. If you believe in what you’re doing, follow that." This approach also guided his revision process, where he worked with an editing team and beta readers but ultimately made the final pass himself to ensure the story felt authentic to his vision.

Finding Motivation

For Pleiadi, overcoming writer's block and self-doubt is rooted in a powerful connection to his audience. "I think about the messages I’ve gotten from readers who’ve said, 'I thought it was just me,'" he shares. "That connection snaps me out of it." This emotional feedback loop reinforces the importance of the stories he is telling.

A Message of Hope

Ultimately, Pleiadi hopes that readers take away a powerful message: "That pain doesn’t have to define you. That it’s never too late to do the right thing." He encourages readers to look for the layers and symbolism, suggesting that the ending holds more meaning than what first appears on the surface.

With "In Powder Blue," Nikolas Pleiadi has not only delivered a compelling crime novel but has also offered a voice to a generation grappling with silent pain, proving that some of the most powerful stories are those we've lived ourselves.

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