{"id":275521,"date":"2026-05-18T19:31:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/275521\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T19:31:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T19:31:32","slug":"under-the-spell-of-c-v-shaw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/275521\/","title":{"rendered":"Under The Spell of C.V. Shaw"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For Episode 10 of The Miami Book Hub, I had the pleasure of welcoming C.V. Shaw \u2014 pen name of Cecilia Valdes Shaw \u2014 author of The Spell, a fantasy novel rooted in curses, belief systems, healing, and the strange magic of storytelling itself.<\/p>\n

It felt fitting that our first double-digit episode would feature someone I recently came to know through the South Florida Writers Association and immediately connected with as a fellow writer, creative spirit, and explorer of deeper things.<\/p>\n

C.V. described The Spell as \u201ca story about a curse that falls upon a royal family.\u201d In the novel, an embittered queen hires \u201call kinds of witches and seers\u201d in an attempt to undo the spell, only to create more chaos. As the princess grows older, she tries to undo the spell herself, with consequences that ripple through the story.<\/p>\n

But as C.V. explained, the book is not merely about magic. \u201cThis is more like a fable trying to get a message across,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s about spells and it\u2019s about belief systems, you know, on a deeper level.\u201d<\/p>\n

That idea \u2014 that stories, curses, and even identities can be shaped by what we believe \u2014 became one of the central themes of our conversation.<\/p>\n

What began as a poem eventually grew into a novel. C.V., who has written poetry since childhood, said the piece \u201cjust kept going and going\u201d until she realized there was something larger there. \u201cSeven months later I had a novel,\u201d she said, laughing that it then took \u201cabout three years to edit it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her creative range is impressive. In addition to The Spell, she has completed The Painted Rose, an Alice in Wonderland retelling set in the 1960s with what she called a \u201cGirl, Interrupted vibe.\u201d She is also working on a children\u2019s book, Jimby Goes to Outer Space, inspired by a stuffed monkey her son has had since childhood, designed to teach kids about the planets in a playful, memorable way.<\/p>\n

C.V.\u2019s background makes her writing especially distinctive. By day, she is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and quantum energy practitioner, with deep knowledge of Chinese medicine, herbs, meridians, and the body\u2019s energetic systems. That training finds its way into her fiction, particularly in The Spell, where the princess learns to heal with herbs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe herbal part of the book is not made up,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s real.\u201d<\/p>\n

We also spoke about character creation, and C.V. offered one of my favorite reflections from the episode: \u201cAll the characters, just like people in our environment, are reflections of ourselves,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are trying to heal through them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her literary influences include Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare, and contemporary author Matt Haig. Poe, in particular, holds a special place in her imagination. She even shared that she has written by trying to \u201cchannel\u201d Poe\u2019s energy \u2014 \u201cnot in a spooky type of way,\u201d she clarified, but in a resonant, creative sense.<\/p>\n

Music also plays a major role in her work. She is writing short stories from the perspectives of women in Beatles songs, including one inspired by \u201cEleanor Rigby.\u201d \u201cWhen I listen to a song,\u201d she said, \u201cI\u2019m always looking for the deeper story.\u201d<\/p>\n

We closed by discussing the South Florida Writers Association, where C.V. was recently elected Vice President, and which she described as \u201ca nonprofit association supporting writers.\u201d The group, which meets monthly at the Pinecrest Library, offers contests, readings, a writers conference, and opportunities for authors to participate in the Miami Book Fair. What came through clearly is that SFWA is more than an organization; it is a welcoming community.<\/p>\n

And for aspiring writers, C.V. left us with this advice: \u201cYou should never call yourself an aspiring writer. You should just call yourself a writer;\u201d adding that \u201cthere\u2019s a reader for every writer\u2026 Just keep writing.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about C.V. Shaw and her creative works, visit CVShawBooks.com<\/a>. You can also learn more about the South Florida Writers Association at SouthFloridaWriters.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To view this full interview and other episodes of The Miami Book Hub \u2014 Miami\u2019s home for readers, writers and resources \u2014 visit YouTube.com\/@J.AdrianBetancourt<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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