We are back with Doeliza, who is set to release her sophomore novel, Lemniscate, on September 1, 2026. In this interview, we discuss her new book, her thematic series, and her sources of inspiration.
Starfish City Publishing: In our last interview, you mentioned you were working on a literary series. Is this new novel part of that series?
Doeliza: I am proud to say that Lemniscate is the first book in the series!
SCP: What is the name of the series, and how are the books connected?
Doeliza: The series is called The Five Fs, and the books are connected by theme. That theme is the five trauma responses. The series will, of course, have five books, each addressing a response. Since the series is connected by theme rather than by storyline or characters, the books can be read in any order.
SCP: Interesting! What led you to choose this theme?
Doeliza: I’ve always been interested in trauma responses. In most cases, I am a fighter, and it is always interesting to observe others’ reactions and reflect on my instincts. I wanted to focus more on social and systemic structures because I have a feeling that we are not escaping those any time soon. I thought about the societal factors behind trauma and how differently people would respond, and voilà, an idea was sparked.
SCP: Which trauma response does Lemniscate address?
Doeliza: The freeze response.
SCP: This theme feels dark. When we think of the freeze response, we picture someone disconnected, a shell of their former self, unable to move. Is it a grim read?
Doeliza: Some of the characters are numb, but it’s written in a light-hearted way. It’s not a depressing read. The genre is actually speculative satire, with dystopian sci-fi and surrealism in the mix. There’s some dark humor here and there, but it doesn’t overwhelm the book.
SCP: And according to the synopsis, this numbness is affecting the main character’s ability to… orgasm?
Doeliza: Yes, and the character is desperately trying to get back to their regularly scheduled orgasms, but can’t quite find a solution to the issue.
I wanted to write a bold, free, daring woman, and I couldn’t have been happier with the result.
Doeliza
SCP: We have to ask. Is this smut?
Doeliza: There are a couple of spicy scenes, but it’s not smut, per se, because it wasn’t written to arouse. I understand the optics of a book about a character longing for an orgasm, but it is more focused on the character’s emotional connections and identity.
SCP: Yeah, it feels more sensual than smutty. We love how many sensory details the novel includes and how we can experience them alongside the character. The novel’s POV is jarring at first, but it helps us connect with the character. Why did you choose the second-person point of view?
Doeliza: Second-person point of view is at once intimate and distancing, which I felt was perfect for the story I was writing. On the one hand, the reader is very close to the character, but on the other, the character is so disconnected from themselves that they are losing their identity.
SCP: How difficult was it to write in that POV?
Doeliza: It was a little difficult, which is why the editing process took a while. Once I got the hang of it, it became comfortable, though. So comfortable that I now have to unlearn it.
SCP: Speaking of editing, what did you cut from the book?
Doeliza: Besides rewriting my sentences to reduce my reliance on “you,” not much. I cut some of the love interest’s scenes, reworked one subplot, and had a slightly different ending, but those were the only major changes. That’s one of the pros of working with an indie press. I can consider the suggestions, but I’m not boxed into strict rules or conventions. In other words, I can let my creativity flow. I’m happy I was able to keep most of what I wanted.
SCP: Like keeping vivid descriptions of minor or background characters? Not describing a major character’s physical traits? Wild paragraphs about flowers?
Doeliza: Exactly!
SCP: There’s an eavesdropping scene in the book where two unnamed characters have a private conversation on the train. Why were you so adamant about keeping it in the book?
Doeliza: One of my favorite authors is Ira Levin, and he does something in his books that has stayed with me over the years. He includes random, everyday scenes to contrast with the unfolding horror. So, in a way, I wanted to emulate my favorite author, but I also wanted to show that life goes on as usual for other people.
SCP: What a unique device to borrow from another author. Let’s talk about the title. How did you come up with it?
Doeliza: Lemniscate is actually the name of the teleporting company the main character works for in the novel. When I was thinking about what to name the company, I thought about the monotony of the work, the systems that allow the company to take advantage of people, and the never-ending cycle of having to work these jobs to survive. Then I thought about how my character needed balance in life, how they were using meditation, and how they needed to heal. I immediately thought about how the infinity symbol could represent all of that. I found out that the symbol was called a lemniscate, which is catchy. And that became the title of the book.
SCP: Teleportation is a major technological advance in this book. How did you develop the unique teleportation rules?
Doeliza: I thought about the vulnerability I felt at former jobs and in public in general: the increase in cameras everywhere, the lack of privacy, people you don’t know somehow knowing all of your business, your data being tracked, generative AI now being able to create videos of you without consent, and so on. And I wanted to include that vulnerability in teleportation. After thinking about that vulnerability, I then created the rules around it. It was a little more research than I anticipated, but I thoroughly enjoyed building this world.
SCP: And it is beautifully done. By the end of the book, the reader knows what it takes to be a Lemniscate employee.
Doeliza: That’s right.
SCP: The love interest in this book is a rebel with a cause who challenges the main character to defy Lemniscate by committing crimes. How did you come up with this character?
Doeliza: I loved writing Elle (the love interest). She is a one-of-a-kind badass. I know there will be comparisons to Robin Hood, but that inspired only one facet of her personality. She doesn’t hold her tongue, is passionate about what she does, and couldn’t care less about dissenters because she does as she pleases. I wanted to write a bold, free, daring woman, and I couldn’t have been happier with the result.
SCP: It looks like you had fun fleshing out the billionaire, too?
Doeliza: Listen, I had too much fun. I definitely see myself crafting more billionaires in the future.
SCP: Will there be billionaires in the rest of the series?
Doeliza: Maybe.
SCP: What does the next book in the series look like?
Doeliza: So, I don’t want to reveal too much. The second book will explore the fall response and, interestingly enough, a different mode of transportation.
SCP: Will all the books in the series explore transportation?
Doeliza: Oh no. The next book in the series was originally planned as the fourth, but we decided it was best to release it as the second. The first two books being centered on transportation is just a coincidence. The rest of the books in the series have nothing to do with transportation.
SCP: Can’t wait to see where the series will go. Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers?
Doeliza: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support. I hope to continue writing the novels you love.
Lemniscate is available as an eBook or a paperback wherever you buy books.
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