We caught up with the brilliant and insightful M.B. Thurman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

M.B., appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My mission is simple. I provide a safe space for people.

I own and operate Miller Tree Inn, a bed & breakfast, with my husband, and I’m also the author of The Summoned Series, a romantasy book series. At Miller Tree, our business revolves around people: we provide a safe, comfortable, and beautiful space where travelers can rest and relax after their adventures in Olympic National Park. And as an author, I aim to tell stories that are entertaining, but more than that, I aim to tell stories with characters who make readers feel seen and understood, worlds that make readers feel less alone, and missions that inspire readers to bet on themselves just like their favorite characters.

As an avid traveler for many years, I’ve stayed at various hotels, inns, and the like: from corporate owned to family owned, boutique to resort, and beyond. The memories that have stayed with me the most aren’t set at necessarily the fanciest hotels, but rather, the ones that felt authentic, the ones that evoked a particular feeling in me or made me feel at home when I was far away. More than anything, the owners or the staff were people I connected with, or at the very least, made me feel like a priority rather than a burden. That was at the heart of what made these properties feel special—and the most memorable. When we purchased this inn, we knew that providing clean and comfortable accommodations would go a long way, but providing friendly and authentic service would be the differentiator between a guest having a good stay and a GREAT stay.

Similarly, as a literature major and an avid reader, I was always drawn to stories that made me truly feel, the stories that evoked strong emotion from me. Characters that felt real, that I learned from, that felt like my friends. Characters that remind the reader that people and their stories matter. When I started writing my first book, I knew that was my litmus test. Had I written a story that mattered? Would anyone feel seen by my characters? Was this story one that would remind us of how important people are?

As my book series has grown, so has my team. We have several actors, musicians, and other artists who work on the Summoned team. This led me to found a production company called Firecracker Entertainment with actress Samantha Rose Baldwin. Our mission was clear: create a safe space for artists to explore their art and collaborate—which included Samantha and myself. At its core, Firecracker is about people and their stories.

Claiming that people come first isn’t out of the norm for businesses. It isn’t a new or unique concept… but when you really mean it—when people and their ideas are truly valued—extraordinary things happen. I’ve learned so many valuable lessons over the years, but the most important one is this: it all comes down to people.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Over four years ago, I traded my corporate career as an executive assistant to purchase the Miller Tree Inn in Forks, Washington. My husband and I own and operate the inn, spending most of our days prepping breakfast, chatting with guests, and spending time alongside our incredible team, keeping things on track. The inn is most notably known for being designated as the local Cullen House from the Twilight Saga. The Forks Chamber of Commerce gave this designation due to how similarly we match Stephenie Meyer’s description of the house in the books. We have eight guest rooms and are situated just on the edge of town next to a lovely field with low mountains just beyond.

I have always been captivated by stories, and I am so proud to say that I’ve pursued my dream of becoming a published author! The third book in my romantasy book series (The Summoned Series) releases September 9th, 2025. We’ll be celebrating the book launch on September 10th, and we have a few tickets left for this immersive event. We’ll be joined by four members of the Summoned cast, two members of the Summoned music team, and my editor from Contrarian Publishing and I will have a Q&A!

A few years ago I founded Firecracker Entertainment alongside actress Samantha Rose Baldwin. We provide a welcoming space for artists and creatives of all industries to collaborate, explore, and expand their art while encouraging and reshaping industry norms. We pride ourselves in being a full-service media house covering not only on-screen content but ranging from music production to publishing to immersive theatre experiences.

My next scheduled in-person appearance for the book launch is scheduled for Friday, September 12th at the Forever Twilight in Forks Festival. We’ll add a few other appearances for the fall, and I’d love to see you!! You can keep up with that schedule on my Instagram page or by signing up for my newsletter over on my website.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media can be such a scary space as both a business owner and creative! I’ve tried many different strategies across many different platforms. Some of these ideas have worked, while others have failed hard. My biggest piece of advice regarding social media is to be genuine to yourself and your brand. If you’re having fun, being authentic, and providing value, your people will find you.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are so many rewards in this space that it’s difficult to pick only one, but one of my favorite things about being a creative is connecting with others. As a child, I lived in a small town where I didn’t know a lot of people who I truly felt understood me, or who were truly like me at all! But I picked up books like The Hobbit or Persuasion, and in those pages, I found two very important things: an escape and characters I could relate to. Now that I’m an author, nothing makes me happier than hearing from readers about how they connected with my characters and my world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mbthurman.com
• Instagram: @mbt_writes
• Other: Threads: @mbt_writes

Image Credits

Britt Byrd
Charles Krause