A banished huntress, drowning in secrets and driven by revenge and a mafia man whop ends up trying to save her from herself. When everything crumbles, the question won’t be who survives... but who’ll they’ll become.

She debuted with Sworn to my heart in September of 2024 and then released the second book in the series, Sworn to Revenge, in February of 2025. The third book, Sworn to Consume, is set to come out later this year. The series will conclude after four books, with book 3 being split into two parts.

You can add her books to your Goodreads page here!

I had the honor of asking Dor Friedman about some tips and tricks she uses in her writing to get her through some tough spots. She gives great advice about not worrying about what other people are doing, and following the path that suits YOU best, which can be a great reminder as sometimes it can be all too easy to compare your writing process with someone else's.

What is your Indie Author origin story? What got you into writing and why did you choose to go the self published route?

I actually wrote Sworn to My Heart six years ago, never thinking I’d share it. It was just my safe space, something I created to escape into.

Then a friend found it on my old laptop, read it out of curiosity, and the next thing I heard was "how dare you hide this from the world?” 

She passed it on (with my permission), and soon over fifty betas were begging me to publish it.

So last year, I did. I chose the indie route because this series is where my heart lives. I wanted full creative control while I was still learning the publishing world, before stepping into something bigger.

When facing writer's block, what strategies do you use to overcome it?

Whether it’s real writer’s block or just procrastination, I use what I call the “Jump Start” method, like jumpstarting a car. I don’t overthink it. I just open the file and type a three word sentence: “I open my...” or “I just got...” Something simple, disconnected from the weight of the story.

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Here’s the thing, thinking too hard about what’s next is usually what gets you stuck. Your brain slips into survival mode, and unless you remind it that writing isn’t a fight-or-flight situation, it’ll keep stalling.

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That little Jump Start spark breaks the pressure. Suddenly, my brain kicks in with the next few words, and my fingers do the rest. One sentence becomes two. Before you know it, the engine’s running again.

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You don’t need a breakthrough. You just need to start the machine.
 

Do you have any mantras, or something you tell yourself to keep you on the right track when writing gets rough?

Honestly, “just write, you can fix it later” mantras stress me out more than it helps. I’m a right now problem solver, as in if something’s broken, I need to fix it as I go. What actually keeps me on track is setting a clear daily word count. Nothing crazy, just something realistic. That way, instead of thinking "I have a massive book to finish," I shift into "just hit today’s number. That's all."

It turns the emotional weight of “finishing a novel” into a small task I can actually check off and that shift makes all the difference. 

I don’t need a mantra. I need a system that solves the overwhelm, not sugarcoats it, especially with ADHD.
 

What is a piece of writing advice you heard that has changed the way you go about your writing process / think about writing?

I can share my own if needed, but I don’t follow anyone else's writing advice. I just write. None of the trendy methods ever worked for me. I have my own rhythm, and that’s enough. The only advice I'm sticking to? If it gets you to the end and stays true to your voice, it’s the right way for you.

Looking back on your writing journey so far, if you could go back in time and tell past Dor one thing that may save her a lot of trouble, what would it be?

“Don’t ever doubt your gut feeling. It’s the only thing that’ll never lie to you.”