Where the Night Winds Wail: Sandy Day on Obsession, Grief, and Indie Authorship

On today's episode of the podcast, I'm thrilled to welcome back one of my favorite returning guests, author Sandy Day. The last time Sandy was on the show, we talked about her novel Odd Mom Out and the re‑release of Head on Backwards, Chest Full of Sand. This time, she's here to dive deep into her brand‑new book, Where the Night Winds Wail—a haunting Ontario noir inspired by the classic song "The Long Black Veil." In our conversation, Sandy pulls back the curtain on the long and winding road this novel took to completion: from an early 30,000‑word NaNoWriMo draft to a fully realized 93,000‑word book rich with interiority, atmosphere, and character development. We talk about the dangers of writing a book in endless layers over many years, the painful process of killing your darlings, and how adding a single major character reshaped the entire story. We also explore how music, obsession, and old wounds fuel Sandy's fiction. Sandy shares how the moody storytelling of "The Long Black Veil," her lifelong love of The Band, and films like Silver Linings Playbook influence her approach to love stories that are anything but neat "happily ever afters." From Jake, her musician protagonist struggling with buried talent and unresolved grief, to the storm at the heart of the book's setting, this is a conversation about art, pain, and learning how to live with the things that never fully heal. Finally, Sandy and I dig into the business side of being an indie literary author—branding, cover design, Amazon categories, and the power of consistent, heartfelt communication through her weekly Substack newsletter. If you care about writing emotionally honest fiction, building a sustainable indie career, or simply love hearing a thoughtful author talk about her craft, you're going to get a lot out of this episode. Check it out now: