The Elemental Alchemist Finn O’Malley Invents A World Where Even Demons Need A Therapist
Photo: Author and “Elemental Goddess” Finn O’Malley finds inspiration in the rugged landscapes of Northern Utah to craft her best-selling fantasy realms.
A Journey Through Magic And Mindfulness
Finn O’Malley explores the intersection of fantasy and psychology, discussing her Keeper of Elements series, the humanity of demons, and how her GLOWup journals provide a positive reset for readers. (30 words)
I n the landscape of contemporary fantasy, few authors manage to bridge the gap between whimsical escapism and profound psychological insight as effortlessly as Finn O’Malley. Based in the rugged beauty of Northern Utah, O’Malley has carved out a niche as an Amazon best-selling author, international speaker, and—following a particularly cinematic encounter with a thunderstorm at a writers’ retreat—a self-proclaimed ‘Elemental Goddess’.
Her work is a tapestry of the extraordinary, weaving together the threads of fiction, mindfulness, and a deep-seated curiosity about the human condition. From the therapeutic needs of demons to the intricate laws of elemental magic, O’Malley’s universe is as expansive as it is intimate. In this exclusive feature, originally published by Mosaic Digest, we delve into the creative mind behind the Keeper of Elements series and the GLOWup mindfulness journals.
- The Therapeutic Demon: How O’Malley used her background as a massage therapist to create Ren, a demon who views angels as the true abominations.
- A Unified Universe: The revelation that the Demon, Fae, and Keeper series all tell one overarching story from three different perspectives.
- The GLOWup Method: Why a global crisis inspired a mindfulness journal series centered on Gratitude, Love, Opportunity, and Wonder.
- The Prophecy Library: The creative origin of crystal towers used to store prophecies, inspired by the author’s personal crystal obsession.
- The Elemental Goddess Moment: The legendary writers’ retreat where a perfectly timed thunderstorm validated her fictional universe.
Therapy for the Damned
Perhaps the most striking entry in O’Malley’s bibliography is Sessions with a Demon. While many authors depict demons as one-dimensional harbingers of chaos, O’Malley takes a more nuanced, albeit cheeky, approach: she puts them on the therapist’s couch.
With a rare blend of wit and wisdom, Finn O’Malley masterfully crafts immersive worlds that challenge our perceptions of magic. (20 words)
‘Everyone needs therapy, even demons!’ O’Malley laughs. The concept was born from a simple, provocative question: if a demon sought professional help, what would they actually discuss? Would they even perceive themselves as evil?
“Everyone needs therapy, even demons!”
– Finn O’Malley
To ground the character of Ren, a Synergy demon, O’Malley drew upon her professional background as a massage therapist and energy practitioner. ‘I flipped everything around to view it from the perspective of “evil”,’ she explains. ‘If my day job involves raising someone’s vibration for their highest good, a demon would naturally want to do the opposite. It was fascinating to frame the realisation that “good” is entirely in the eye of the beholder. Ren is simply doing what he was born to do; to him, angels are the real abominations.’
This exploration of perspective is a hallmark of O’Malley’s writing. She is currently working on the sequel, Demon in Crisis, which further entangles her various literary worlds. Her Demon, Fae, and Keeper series all inhabit the same overarching reality, viewed through three different lenses. As the series progress, readers can expect increasing character crossovers, revealing how a single cosmic event can ripple through vastly different lives.
Building Hallervania
Transitioning from the internal psyche to the external world, O’Malley’s Keeper of Elements series introduces readers to the rich, magically-charged world of Hallervania. However, building a universe from scratch brought its own set of “freaky frack” moments.
‘I remember when my protagonist, Aislynn, first crossed over into Hallervania,’ O’Malley recalls. ‘I suddenly realised: oh no, now I have to make all the rules! It was a massive learning curve for both me and my characters.’
O’Malley’s strategy for managing such a complex system is to let the reader learn alongside the protagonist. By introducing the mechanics of magic slowly, she ensures the world-building never overpowers the character development. This methodical approach allows her to revisit locations and concepts in subsequent books, deepening the reader’s immersion without resorting to dense ‘info-dumping’.
For O’Malley, the magic is secondary to the human experience. ‘I love to explore how a person changes under different pressures,’ she says. ‘I want my readers to pause and think about how they might react if they were thrust into these same impossible situations.’
From Short Stories to Mindfulness
While she is best known for her sprawling novels, O’Malley has also found success in the disciplined world of short fiction. Her story ‘Fire Dance’, featured in the acclaimed anthology Dragons Within: Guarding Her Own, earned her significant praise.
She admits that brevity is a challenge. ‘Writing short stories is difficult when you love long, intertwining narratives,’ she says. Yet, these shorter pieces often serve as ‘pills of potential’. A character created for a brief appearance, such as the feisty magical bounty hunter Percy, can often demand a larger stage. Indeed, Percy has since navigated her way into O’Malley’s latest release, Fae on the Rocks.
Beyond the realms of dragons and demons, O’Malley is deeply committed to helping her readers find ‘authentic alignment’ in the real world. This led to the creation of the GLOWup mindfulness journal series. Born out of the societal chaos of 2020, the journals encourage users to focus on four pillars: Gratitude, Love, Opportunity, and Wonder (GLOW).
‘I felt we needed a positive reset,’ she explains. ‘The journals—Rose Gold, Gold, Platinum, and Crystalline—each have their own energy. My fiction and my mindfulness work actually lean into the same narrative: characters discovering and reflecting on their own lives as they navigate dilemmas.’ In a charming ‘easter egg’ for fans, the protagonist of Fae on the Rocks even utilises ‘GLOWup water’ as a healing tonic.
The Elemental Goddess
The moniker ‘Elemental Goddess’ isn’t just a marketing tag; it was earned. During a pitch session at a writers’ retreat, a sudden, violent thunderstorm provided a perfectly timed soundtrack of lightning and cracks of thunder as O’Malley described her elemental magic systems. The room was sold; the elements had seemingly given their endorsement.
This connection to the natural and spiritual world permeates her daily life. An obsession with crystals led to the creation of the ‘Prophecy Library’ in her books—a place where every prophecy is stored within crystal towers of varying shapes and sizes.
Whether she is practicing yoga, collecting crystals, or speaking on international stages, Finn O’Malley remains grounded by a singular belief: that being human is an opportunity to create a lasting impact. Through her unique blend of humour, wisdom, and vibrant imagination, she continues to invite readers to explore the extraordinary, reminding us that even in a world of magic, the most profound journeys are the ones we take within ourselves.
