Interview with PM Zelaya | A 25-Year Writing Journey, Healing, and Managing Her Son's Hollywood Career
- LA Today
- Jan 9
- 5 min read
PM Zelaya is an author and talent manager who spent 25 years crafting a 2-part romantic drama novel while simultaneously guiding her son Kingston's award-winning acting career, which includes roles on Abbott Elementary and national commercials. Her writing focuses on authentic storytelling that resonates with women, mothers, daughters, and sisters through relatable characters and emotionally connected narratives.
7 QUESTIONS
WITH PM ZELAYA
1. Your novel took 25 years to complete—what kept you committed through such a long creative journey?
What kept me motivated was knowing I couldn't quit. Quitting wasn't an option, quitting is telling yourself you weren't good enough and I knew the talents God gave me was better than good.
I had a lot of struggles along the way that delayed my progress—losing three children, losing what seemed like my world—but those experiences played silently in the back of my mind as a reminder that I couldn't quit and that I had something to prove within myself.
I also had and still have a supportive husband who created a space for me to heal and write. He was my daily motivator that I could accomplish what I started. He reminded me when I would be discouraged what God says in scripture: "He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it." Those were the words that would ignite a fire under me, to keep going, no matter how long it took.
2. When readers say they "connect" with your characters, what specific emotion or life experience do you most hope they recognize in themselves?
There are several arcs throughout these two romantic novels that the main character Ciara journeys through. Although this is a sensual romantic read, Ciara also faces real struggles many of us face today: family conflicts, loyalty within friendships and more difficult social issues such as racial identity and sexual abuse.
But as the readers delve into this story, I hope they would most connect with the courage to embrace change within themselves. We all struggle with our past experiences confining us to certain perspectives, certain ideation, a certain way we conduct ourselves.
What I hope readers realize as they explore Ciara's story is not to allow fear confine us to one area or one thinking, but to open ourselves to embrace change as they come. That we allow ourselves to grow and evolve to the person we were meant to become. And as we journey through to fight for our voice, we can finally echo loudly no longer confined, but free to be.
3. You've managed your son Kingston's Hollywood career while writing—how has watching his journey as an actor influenced your storytelling?
Actually it's the other way around. I have my Master's in Clinical Mental Health, where I studied psychology. It allowed me to understand people and how they think and what influences them to do what they do. I used that experience to help my son develop the characters he plays, and it helped me write compelling characters in my books.
Watching my son understand in depth the motivation behind his characters has been the icing on the cake. It, in a sense validates our hard work, because he's able to connect with the audience in a realistic way. His reactions are real reactions not one contrived just to make the cut, but one from real emotions, real reactions; and I believe my writing exemplifies those same realness.
4. Kingston won a Young Artist Award and appeared on Abbott Elementary—has he read your novels yet? What was his reaction?
No, my son is 9 years old, my novels are for the 18+ audience. He can read it when he's of age. Although he hears my husband and I talk about the story and he is intrigued. He tells me he is proud of me chasing after my dreams.
But when he does read it, when he's older, it would make for an interesting discussion, him and I.
5. What's the one scene or moment in your 2-part series that you're most proud of writing?
There is a scene in book 1, Unconditional, where Ciara stands naked in front of a mirror forced to face herself, to see herself. It is the defining moment where she begins to embrace change. It IS the defining moment in the book for me, where she begins to see her worth, completely naked and unashamed, she had to face her "dark secret" she would refer to, and realize she can no longer hide behind shame or fear, that she would stand tall and see herself as the world saw her, as Sebastian (her love interest) saw her.
This part of the book was written from a real life experience—me at 20 facing my own "dark secrets" knowing that if I remained silent any longer I would lose myself entirely.
Another defining moment was in book 2, Unravel, where Ciara thought she had put herself in a situation to lose everything. It was a moment of fear for her, because she had kept her "dark secret" hidden for so long that she felt her life was imploding, so she falls on her knees, she then is transported back to the darkest time of her life, forced to relive her abuse.
And when she awakens from that flashback, she weeps bitterly and unravels all the perils of her past to her mother. It is the moment her relationship with her mother is redefined. It becomes the start of their healing journey. It was healing writing both those scenes and I hope my readers embrace such a therapeutic moment.
6. Now that both parts are published, what's next for you—new stories, or something completely different?
I would love to write Sebastian's story to be honest. He has such a rich storyline that I have been exploring but nothing definitive with that yet.
There is something in the works for these novels, but I can't discuss yet. But it is something to look forward to and hopefully will be embraced by the readers and this industry.
7. Finally, what's your favorite place to go in Los Angeles?
My favorite places are the beaches—Venice Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Malibu. One of the setting/location written about in my book is Malibu, off PCH.
I love the waters, the beautiful sunsets cascading its orange hues reflecting over the twinkling waters. My husband, my son and I like to grab some food and picnic on the beaches, enjoying the sunsets and the waves crashing against the shores. It is rejuvenating and therapeutic.
I knew I needed to represent our beautiful beaches in my book so others can fall in love with them as much as I do.
CONNECT WITH PM ZELAYA
"UNCONDITIONAL"
on Amazon.com
