An Interview with Sci-Fi Author and Content Creator Josephine Lieder

I recently had the pleasure of reconnecting with Josephine Lieder, the talented Author and Content Creator behind the acclaimed Lucy Divine Series under the pen name Finding Annevra. We discussed her current book, forthcoming work, and personal experiences. I genuinely believe that you will find our conversation highly insightful and enjoyable.

AA: Welcome, Josephine!! Where are you from (tell your origin story)?

JL: My name is Josephine Lieder (or Josie, for short). I am a science-fiction author and content creator from Long Island, New York. I am also well-known for healing my autoimmune disorder with the carnivore diet after a 14-year stint of veganism. Ironic, I know. I’ll get to that in a bit. I make videos under the name Weird History Gal about spooky and historical places, and I would say where I grew up played a huge part in shaping my interest in history and urban legends. Long Island is in no short supply of both and is also home to the military base and alleged conspiracy that inspired Stranger Things, AKA Camp Hero and the Montauk Project. I have always leaned more on the introvert side, and that, I would say, also impacted hobbies and areas of interest I developed growing up that I don’t think would have happened otherwise. I started writing and drawing as a kid, though I think I can safely say back then I wasn’t very good at it, and developed a love for animals. I also distinctly remember being unable to resist watching TV shows and reading ghost stories.

JL: I also make content documenting my experience with the carnivore diet under the name The Ex-Plant Eater, a name which I sort of intended to be hyperbole, though I guess it didn’t work out that way. Long story short, I had an eating disorder around 13, became vegan not long after I started recovering (around 14), and spent the next 14 years of my life mostly miserable and dealing with minor-to-severe health issues that culminated in being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis around 23/24 years old. I stayed vegan about 4 years after that and continued experiencing digestive issues. In 2021, we had a tragic death in the family and I began going into a severe colitis flare, and that was the point that got me desperate enough to try animal products again, seeing as I’d tried about every other option available besides that. To my bewilderment at the time, it worked, and I was able, after about a full year of slowly reintroducing animal products and then transitioning to the carnivore diet over another few months, to get my autoimmune disorder into full remission and it has been that way ever since. I’ve only continued to see my health improve since then.

AA: How did you become interested in the plant-based diet, and what was the turning point in your life that led you to seek a different eating path to address the health issues you’ve been facing?

JL: I became interested in veganism when I was 13 and was just starting to recover from having an eating disorder. This is actually relevant to music, I was at the Vans Warped Tour the summer after I started recovery and came across a PETA tend where they were handing out pamphlets promoting the film Earthlings. I watched Earthlings that night, and became vegan overnight because I was young and impressionable and really believed it was the answer to all of my problems. I am stubborn, however, and like to stick to things to the utmost degree, so I stuck with veganism for 14 years following that. The turning point for me, was ultimately getting diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and being desperate to get it under control when I was 27.

AA: What have you learned about your body and nutrition since you started the carnivore diet?

JL: I have learned a lot of health issues we generally think are normal aren’t normal necessarily. I feel like women especially are conditioned to believe that as we get older, we age horribly, our hormones get all out of whack, we need to use toxic beauty products and skincare to maintain our skin, we need to eat a small amount of calories to stay fit. I’ve seen through doing the carnivore diet that all of that isn’t true. My skin looks younger than it did three years ago when I started this way of eating, I no longer pay attention to the amount of calories I eat and remain the same size, I no longer experience PMS, and I no longer use any products on my skin aside from beef tallow and other sources of animal fat. I’ve also seen my autoimmune disorder go into full remission, eating this way. For me, the carnivore diet has been very liberating and continues to work well.

AA: How do you handle all the negative/rude comments you get from vegans on social media?

JL: Oof! I’ve had to start letting it go in one ear and out the other and made a rule against engaging with people like that at all, even if it’s to try to make them see the light. It’s not worth it. I have gotten to a point where I can either laugh about it or genuinely feel bad the person is as delusional as they are, and then move on about my day. I do get a lot less these days, also (I don’t know where all the vegans went), but when I do get one every once in a while, I’ve learned to be detached about it.

AA: How did you become interested in writing and eventually become an author?

JL: So, I got my first laptop around 11. As I know we’ll discuss later in this interview, I am also a huge fan of music and get really into the lore and whatnot when it comes to bands I really like. As embarrassing as it is to admit this, I used to love going on sites like Wattpad and reading fanfiction about my favorite band members and musicians. My Chemical Romance was my favorite. While one might assume a preteen girl is reading romance fanfiction about her favorite band (there was plenty of that, to be fair), I remember I genuinely liked reading fanfiction that included the whole band and was sometimes humorous rather than romantic. For example, I remember somebody had written a couple of different “chapters” or “episodes” of MCR playing Jeopardy and I enjoyed it so much that I remember it to this day. Naturally, I started wanting to write my own fanfiction and did, and while I can’t even imagine how cringey it probably was, that was where I first remember wanting to write my own story and follow it through to the end.

Sadly, or maybe not so sadly depending on how you feel about Twilight, the story gets even more embarrassing from there. I was obsessed with Twilight starting around the age of…13, I believe. As much as I cringe now thinking back on that, Twilight was the first novel I ever remember I couldn’t put down. It helped me develop that internal stream-of-consciousness type of thinking that I would need to write.

JL: There is a third aspect to this, which I can say I still stand behind, at least. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve always been intrigued by urban legends. Something that has always fascinated me is Atlantis. When I was fourteen, I read the book Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock. If you’re not familiar, it is nonfiction and in it, the author proposes a theory for a potential advanced civilization that existed before recorded history. I know people have a lot of qualms with this book;

JL: I am not qualified to speak to any of those things. However, as a 14-year old, I was utterly fascinated. That book was what made me decide I wanted to write a novel with my own characters, with the center point a lost civilization.

AA: What books from childhood have shaped you most as a writer?

JL: Certainly, Twilight. Harry Potter as well, though I didn’t quite read it when I was a child. I also remember loving Sarah Dessen novels, the Pretty Little Liars series, and books like Speak and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which were (and are still) very popular Young Adult novels.

AA: What made you decide to become a science fiction author?

JL: I definitely didn’t set out with the initial goal of writing a science fiction novel instead of a different type of novel. It developed organically due to my quirky interests and the way the plot panned out in books 1 and 2. Book 2 is heavier on the science-fiction aspect.

AA: What attracted you to this genre?

JL: Stranger Things! Also, my fascination with psychic phenomena and government mind control experiments like the very real MK-Ultra. Weirdly enough, other literary influences didn’t have much to do with it my attraction to writing a science fiction novel.

AA: Please tell me more about your book “Finding Annevra” from The Lucy Divine Series. What is the story about? Who are the main characters, and what are their backstories? When does the story take place? Is it a love story?

JL: I always describe Finding Annevra as “Stranger Things meets a Cinderella Story.” Lucy Divine is the main character, 17 at the beginning of the series. Lucy has never quite fit in, mainly because she was born clairvoyant and has been treated like a pariah her whole life by her family and peers. Like the evil stepsisters in Cinderella, Finding Annevra begins with Lucy being sent to stay with her older sister who has always been cold to her. While there, Lucy runs back into Grant, a boy she knew from childhood, who is also grown up. She is instantly smitten with him, but is immediately forbidden by her parents from spending time with him. She remembers his family disappeared mysteriously from town when they were children.

JL: What’s more, Grant is now in charge of watching over an ancient artifact collection passed down to him by his deceased father—his father, who also mysteriously died right around when Grant’s family moved. One of the artifacts goes missing, and Lucy puts it all on the line and reveals her ability to Grant in an attempt to help him figure out what happened to it. She, also, in the process, disobeys her parents orders. Family secrets are unraveling, teenage angst, and acts of courage ensue.

JL: I don’t know if I would describe Finding Annevra as a love story. Initially, I thought it was, and I think I made a mistake in retrospect in branding it as that. It is a love story in a sense—but it deals more with the topics of soulmates and true love. It would more accurately be described as a paranormal or science fiction adventure novel, I think. It takes place in the present day on Long Island.

AA: What moment made you say, “I want to become an author?”

JL: I would say I started wanting that around 13. After developing that initial goal of wanting to write a novel when I was 13, I did write a 17-chapter manuscript of a novel I named Annevra Waiting. My first book is presently named Finding Annevra. I rewrote that very early manuscript, keeping only the basics of the plot and the characters, and developed it into the novel it is today around when I was 22. Anyway, I remember I printed out that 17-chapter manuscript and gave it to my grandma, and a few of my family members read it and enjoyed it. I would be way too embarrassed to ever look back at it now seeing as I know it had to still be apparent a 13-year-old wrote it, but I think hearing that positive feedback was what initially made me want to pursue being an author.

AA: Do you have any specific themes or messages that you want to convey through this book? If so, what are they, and why are they important to you?

JL: Without giving too much of the plot away, one of the most prominent themes in the series is the concept of soulmates, and not just in a romantic sense. I want to show multifaceted, imperfect characters who accomplish miraculous feats for each other and themselves. Many of the characters fit a stereotype at the beginning of the series. As it progresses, you increasingly see the main characters break out of those stereotypes and overcome them and also realize the box they felt they were in was mostly self-inflicted. That has been the most gratifying aspect of working on this book series thus far because it is an issue I’ve faced in my own life. Finding self-worth and overcoming self-esteem issues is also an important character arc when it comes to Lucy, but I would say that is more prominent in Book 2.

AA: Could you describe the inspiration behind your book? Is there a particular scene or chapter in the book that is especially meaningful? Can you explain why it holds significance?

JL: The inspiration for Finding Annevra, specifically, came from a combination of reading Fingerprints of the Gods, my fascination with Atlantis and Stranger Things, and also my love of coming-of-age stories. I have always loved movies like A Cinderella Story and character arcs where the underdog succeeds. I suppose the interpersonal relationships between the characters and even the drama that happens is a byproduct of my wanting to incorporate that type of story arc. Regarding Book 1, I would say the most meaningful scene for me is when Grant shows up unexpectedly at Lucy’s house after months of the two of them not speaking after he hurt her feelings before she left her sister’s house. She gives him a second chance, and I suppose I love that scene because it illustrates redemption. It’s really easy to imagine Lucy’s excitement at seeing him because it’s been made pretty clear that although she is upset with him, she still has feelings for him.

AA: Were there any scenes you cut that you wish you could have kept? Please describe them and the decision-making process behind cutting them.

JL: Weirdly enough, there was one scene that I took out where Grant has a meaningful conversation with his mother, and when I looked back at it, I don’t remember my thought process in taking it out because it also provided important information to forward the plot. I did add it back in when I published a second edition of Finding Annevra in 2022 if I remember correctly. It has more so been with Book 2 that I’ve taken a few scenes out, which is usually because they’re extraneous and don’t forward the plot. Some are easier to take out, but ultimately, the goal is to keep the reader engaged.

AA: Tell us about your upcoming book. How will the story continue from the first book?

JL: The word “Annevra” is simply a product of my 13-year-old brain having too much time to think. But I am happy I came up with it. I wanted the word Annevra to represent Atlantis, but I also didn’t want to abide by people’s preconceptions of Atlantis. So, it is like an alternate universe lost civilization. Finding Annevra was simple to come up with once Book 1 was done; it is relevant to the plot. The title for Book 2 is very relevant to the plot of both Books 1 and 2, and I don’t want to spoil too much. Still, Blue Umbrella is essentially a government experiment the characters discover in Book 1. “Beneath the Blue Umbrella,” which will come out on June 20th, 2025, indicates they’re finding the truth about certain things in both of their pasts and overturning every stone in a sense. It ended up being the perfect title.

AA: What is the key message you aim to convey in your latest work?

JL: Beneath the Blue Umbrella focuses heavier on Lucy’s character arc and on Lucy recognizing her worth. It also deals more heavily with the concept of sacrifice and how choice often only offers us the lesser of two evils rather than entirely good or bad options. The themes from the last book are also relevant, such as soulmates and friendship.

AA: If there were a screen adaptation of the book, which actors would you like to play each character?

JL: The ideal actors are much older than the characters are, so this could never actually work, but I am sorely out of touch when it comes to current actors that match the age of the characters, so I will allow you to use your imagination to an extent. For Lucy, hands down, Evan Rachel Wood. Weirdly enough, I watched Across the Universe when I was fourteen after I wrote Finding Annevra, and I had pictured my character Lucy to look not to the tee but very similar to Evan’s character Lucy in Across the Universe. So, Evan Rachel Wood, but when she was younger, for Grant, I would say it would be a cross between Jake Gyllenhaal and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Jason is also a very prominent character, and I would say I picture Jason as a blond Heath Ledger, which would also not work for obvious reasons.

AA: I know you are interested in weird history and talking about old houses. How did you get interested in both topics?

JL: As a teenager, those interests really developed and strengthened for me. I began researching the Gold Coast mansions on Long Island, for example, after reading The Great Gatsby in my late teens, and I’ve always been interested in urban legends as a byproduct of where I grew up.

AA: Tell us about your recent trips and all the old houses you saw?

JL: One of my more recent trips was to Newport, Rhode Island. While there, I visited The Breakers and The Elms for the first time, which are Gilded Age mansions, both built in the late 19th century. Both have been heavily featured in the show The Gilded Age, which is about high society in that period of time. Both mansions are almost indescribably beautiful, and I’m a huge fan of the show, so it was very cool to see them in person.

The Elms

The Breakers Interior

AA: Many people unexpectedly find themselves going down rabbit holes. What conspiracy theory involves going down a rabbit hole?

JL: One conspiracy theory I have gone deep down the rabbit hole with was the Montauk Project. I have made a few longer form videos about it on my Weird History Gal YouTube channel, so it required me researching as much as what is publicly available about what was The Montauk Project. This is the alleged covert military operation Stranger Things is based on. If there is any conspiracy theory, I recommend going down the rabbit hole with, it is this one because there are so many avenues it can take you down such as time travel, mind control, telekinesis, etc. I finished the project unconvinced. The Montauk Project never happened, but it was certainly interesting and entertaining to read about.

AA: If you could live in any historical period, which would you choose and why?

JL: That’s an easy one! The 1920s, and I would want to be on Long Island. Long Island used to have the most significant number of Gold Coast mansions than any other part of the country. They were built by the mega-wealthy and were the mansions that inspired Gatsby’s mansion in The Great Gatsby. Most were torn down in the early 20th century before standing for 30/40 years. I would love to go back and see what some of them looked like in person.

AA: What are some of your favorite bands? And why? I know you’re a huge fan of Dance Gavin Dance. What made you a fan of this band? Do you like their albums with Johnny and Kurt Travis? What are your favorite albums and songs? How does this song resonate with you? (This could also be from the other artist you enjoy as well)

JL: I do love Dance Gavin Dance; I used to consider them my favorite band. I have branched out in the last two years or so and I don’t necessarily know who I would say my favorite band is anymore. I am constantly revolving between listening to bands like Sleep Token, Bring Me the Horizon, Lorna Shore, My Chemical Romance, Dance Gavin Dance, Dayseeker… There are probably more I’m not thinking of. Post-hardcore is probably my favorite music genre. I also do enjoy Alternative Rock and pop music. In terms of Dance Gavin Dance, I usually describe them as an acquired taste, as I feel like everyone who ends up loving them listens to them over and over again until they have that lightbulb moment when the music suddenly just starts sounding really good. I am more of a fan of their albums with Tilian and not as big of a fan of their albums with Kurt and Jonny.

JL: I know there are hardcore fans who consider that blasphemy, but that is just my humble opinion. My favorite album is Mothership, followed closely by Artificial Selection. I’ve also been listening to Jackpot Juicer on repeat lately which is surprising because their other newer stuff fell off for me a lot quicker. My favorite songs from those albums are Chocolate Jackalope, Philosopher King, and Die Another Day. Most of their songs resonate just because I really enjoy the way Tilian’s voice contrasts with Jon’s, the chorus is catchy, and instrumentally, they’re insane in a good way. I wouldn’t say it’s the type of music that’s given me the message to keep going (that’s what My Chemical Romance was for, growing up a preteen and teenager!), but it does put me in a good mood.

AA: Do you have any advice for aspiring artists or those venturing into new creative pursuits?

JL: My best advice would be not to let fear stop you, and don’t get down on yourself if the first project you do isn’t a huge success. Keep going. I have faced that same discouragement—we are all only human and it’s normal, but at the end of the day creating art should be something you do because you genuinely enjoy it. I find that when I can get out of my head and allow myself to find joy in what I’m creating, it becomes a lot more effortless.

AA: What message would you deliver if you had the world's attention for 2 minutes?

JL: Don’t be afraid to fail. I feel like so many people including myself at times hold back due to fear of failure. It’s not worth it. Go do that thing you’ve always wanted to do as long as it won’t hurt anyone! Give your dreams a chance.

AA: We appreciate your openness, Josephine, and thank you for sharing insights into your personal and professional life.