A Wednesday Conversation with Dr. Christie Black-Murrell

Author, Counselor, and Storyteller Releases New Romantic Suspense Novella Almost Empty

For more than 25 years, Dr. Christie Black-Murrell has helped individuals and families navigate life's emotional challenges as a licensed professional counselor. Along the way, she discovered another powerful tool for healing and transformation: storytelling.

Since 2020, Dr. Black-Murrell has published eleven children's books focused on social-emotional learning, helping young readers understand feelings, relationships, and resilience. Now, under the pen name Chariska, she takes readers on a different journey with her newest release, Almost Empty, a romantic suspense novella that explores trauma, marriage, obsession, healing, and the courage required to reclaim one's voice.

We sat down with Dr. Black-Murrell to discuss her writing journey, the inspiration behind Almost Empty, and the deeper messages woven throughout the story.

Hailes: Tell us about your journey as a writer. When did it all begin?

Dr. Black-Murrell: My writing journey began the moment I learned to read. Books became my escape, my joy, and some of my earliest teachers. By the age of ten, I was already filling notebooks with short stories and creating worlds through my imagination.

As I grew older, poetry became my outlet. It gave me a safe space to process sadness, excitement, anger, confusion, and hope. That emotional honesty eventually led to my first published poetry collection in 2009. What started as a childhood passion evolved into a lifelong calling.

Since then, I've written three poetry collections, an adult fiction series, eleven children's books and journals, and now Almost Empty. Every project is rooted in a desire to encourage, entertain, and create stories where Black and Brown characters are fully seen, celebrated, and empowered.

Hailes: You are a counselor by profession. How has your counseling background influenced your writing?

Dr. Black-Murrell: Counseling has shaped every aspect of my writing. For more than two decades, I've witnessed the resilience of people facing trauma, grief, anxiety, relationship struggles, and life transitions.

Those experiences taught me that healing isn't linear. People often carry wounds they don't fully understand. In my writing, I want to reflect that reality while also offering hope. Readers deserve stories that feel authentic and acknowledge emotional complexity without losing sight of healing and redemption.

Hailes: What inspired Almost Empty?

Dr. Black-Murrell: The inspiration came from observing how many people appear successful and happy on the outside while quietly struggling on the inside. They continue functioning, caring for others, working, and maintaining appearances, but emotionally they're exhausted.

Michelle Anderson, the protagonist, represents many women who spend years pouring into everyone else while neglecting themselves. I wanted to explore what happens when someone reaches a point where they can no longer ignore their emotional needs.

Hailes: Tell us about Michelle Anderson.

Dr. Black-Murrell: Michelle is a wife, mother, and caretaker. She's strong, dependable, and committed to her family. Yet beneath that strength is unresolved pain she's carried for years.

She's spent so much time meeting everyone else's needs that she's lost touch with herself. Therapy becomes her lifeline and the beginning of a journey toward self-discovery. But healing isn't easy, and her efforts to reclaim her voice open the door to unexpected dangers and complications.

Hailes: The book blends emotional healing with suspense. Why combine those elements?

Dr. Black-Murrell: Life itself is often unpredictable. Emotional healing can feel like navigating unfamiliar territory, and sometimes the greatest threats aren't always obvious.

The suspense elements allowed me to externalize some of the emotional tension Michelle experiences internally. The obsession, fear, and danger heighten the stakes, but at its core, this story is about healing, relationships, and personal transformation.

Hailes: Marriage plays a major role in the story. What message do you hope couples take away?

Dr. Black-Murrell: One of the central themes is that marriages don't usually break overnight. Often, it's the accumulation of small moments—unspoken hurts, unmet needs, emotional distance, and poor communication.

Michelle and Aaron are forced to confront issues they've ignored for years. Their journey demonstrates that healing requires honesty, vulnerability, and intentional effort from both partners. Love alone isn't enough; relationships require work, communication, and commitment.

Hailes: Mental health and therapy are prominent themes. Why was it important to include them?

Dr. Black-Murrell: Because therapy saves lives. As a counselor, I've seen firsthand how transformative it can be when someone finally feels safe enough to confront their pain.

There's still stigma around seeking mental health support, especially in many communities of color. I wanted readers to see therapy not as a sign of weakness but as an act of courage. Asking for help is often the first step toward healing.

Hailes: What do you hope readers feel after finishing Almost Empty?

Dr. Black-Murrell: I hope they feel hopeful. I hope they recognize that healing is possible, even after years of pain. I hope they understand that they don't have to remain trapped by their past.

Most importantly, I hope readers remember that being emotionally depleted doesn't have to be permanent. With support, self-awareness, and intentional healing, it's possible to become whole again.

Hailes: You have an ambitious goal of publishing 100 books. What drives that vision?

Dr. Black-Murrell: Purpose. Every book is an opportunity to reach someone who needs encouragement, validation, representation, or hope.

I write because stories matter. Stories can heal, educate, inspire, and transform. Whether it's a child learning emotional skills through one of my picture books or an adult finding themselves in a character like Michelle, I want my work to make a positive impact.

Hailes: Finally, why should readers pick up Almost Empty?

Dr. Black-Murrell: Because it's more than a suspense story. It's a story about finding your voice after years of silence. It's about marriage, healing, resilience, and learning to love yourself enough to confront the things you've been avoiding.

Readers who enjoy emotionally rich stories with suspense, romance, and real-life struggles will find something meaningful in Michelle's journey.

About the Book

Almost Empty follows Michelle Anderson, a woman whose seemingly perfect life masks years of emotional exhaustion and unresolved trauma. As therapy helps her uncover long-buried wounds, she becomes entangled in a dangerous web of obsession that threatens her marriage, her family, and her future.

As secrets unravel and danger closes in, Michelle and her husband Aaron must decide whether their love is strong enough to survive the truth.

At its heart, Almost Empty is a powerful story about healing, second chances, and the courage to reclaim the parts of yourself you've neglected for far too long.

The question Michelle must answer is one many readers will recognize:

Will she continue running from the broken pieces of herself, or finally embrace the healing necessary to become whole?