What began as curiosity about politics has evolved into an unexpected new chapter for first-time author Terica Dillas.

The Overtaking comes out next week. The political drama follows Marissa Cain and the pressures she faces in her role as adviser to the US president.

Although the 53-page book is “definitely fiction”, Ms Dillas said it was inspired in part by real-life experiences. Through her work with an advocacy group, she gained a close-up view of the behind-the-scenes conversations and decision-making surrounding independent candidates during Bermuda’s General Election in 2025.

“In my journey I’ve been exposed to how our political landscape works,” she said. “It really was an eye-opening experience when you see [what happens in] back rooms [versus] what actually the public gets to see — the decisions that are made behind closed doors, the arguments that happen, the tug-of-war that goes on.”

Her protagonist, Dr Cain, spent years in the non-profit sector before she joined the White House. Although she appears composed and capable, she struggles with the emotional and ethical conflict the job brings.

“In the high-stakes corridors of the White House, Dr Marissa Cain is a rare constant, a voice of clarity anchored by principle, sharpened by experience and haunted by the unfinished legacy of her late mentor. When she is forced into an ideological chess match with Gregory Steele, a brilliant political strategist who thrives on perception, power, and risk, Marissa finds herself confronting a system that rewards optics over truth,” the synopsis reads.

“As alliances blur and pressure mounts, Marissa must decide how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice to remain inside the room where power is shaped.”

Ms Dillas said The Overtaking explored themes of power, survival and change, with Dr Cain forced to make difficult choices about who she is and who she wants to become.

“She's not defined by her profession, but by her responses to the challenges around her. She's forced to confront the realities of her environment, of her relationship, of her identity. It is a political drama. It is definitely fiction but I took a little twist on it and put some real life situations in there,” she explained.

Ms Dillas “did not like writing at all” in her younger years but her perspective changed after penning an opinion piece for The Royal Gazette through her work as founder of the advocacy group Unity in the Community.

“I had fun doing that,” she said. “That was the first time I really had a good time writing.”

Previous attempts at fiction had never quite worked but the experience gave her the confidence to try again.

“You have to stay focused and stay in a specific lane and I could never train my brain to stay with the storyline instead of veering too far left or veering too far right. But I've learnt, in the last couple of years, how to write clearly,” she said.

She completed The Overtaking in three months.

“I actually did it on a whim, to see if I could. That's where this book comes from. I thought to myself, ‘This would make a fantastic story.’ If people actually knew what happened behind the curtains — [the conversations] that most people don't get privy to — they’d be surprised as to what's going on,” the author said.

“This story is not fact-based. This is literally made up. But it has those dynamics involved in it. I had so much fun writing it and it flowed so naturally, which surprised me. I had never written a book before in my life.”

The project became an unexpected creative outlet for Ms Dillas. The Overtaking is the first in a planned trilogy, with the second book already completed.

“It's not a giant novel or anything. It is purely entertainment and it's a fun, easy read,” she said. “It really gets your imagination going and it segues into the second book, which is in production now, called The Reckoning. And then the last book is called Revelation.

The one part that I was really pleased that I was able to do is that you can start with whatever book you want and it comes full circle. That's what I liked about this.”

She originally intended to self-publish but ultimately submitted the work to Olympia Publishers where, to her delight, the manuscript was accepted.

“I went to Amazon. I didn't like it. The process was tedious and it really was hard, so I decided to look to see if someone would be interested in publishing. So when I went to Olympia I did it just to see if they would be interested,” Ms Dillas said.

“I didn't [know if] anybody would really wish to pick it up. Now I feel like I've fallen into something new for myself. I'm actually enjoying this journey at this stage in my life.”

• To pre-order a copy of The Overtaking before its May 14 release, e-mail Terica Dillas at terica.dillas@unityvibes.org or visitOlympia Publishers