When Dreams Call at 3 a.m.: Xiomara Rodríguez in Conversation with Neil Haley

JB Annan
Sep 30
2 min read

You’ve probably heard the cliché that your best ideas come when the world is quietest. For author Xiomara Rodríguez, that couldn’t be truer.

She recently sat down with Neil Haley on The Neil Haley Show to explore her journey from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to becoming a published author and activist. Their conversation is now available across streaming platforms, and it’s packed with insight, grit, and inspiration.

🎧 Listen to the Interview

SoundCloud: The Jane Sparks Trilogy: Grit, Justice & 3 A.M. Inspiration — with Xiomara Rodríguez — Xiomara discusses how her investigative background with the U.S. Coast Guard informed her storytelling. SoundCloud
Neil Haley website (episode page): “Power, Pages & the Future — From Berlusconi’s Playbook to Jane Sparks & Digital Minds” — includes Xiomara’s segment in the broader show episode. Neil Haley

✍️ Highlights & Key Takeaways

Origins: Law Enforcement & Storytelling

Xiomara shares how her time in Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) gave her real-world perspective that she now weaves into her fiction. SoundCloud Her stories aren’t just made-up mysteries — they draw on real-life tension, procedure, and stakes.

The 3 a.m. Call to Write

Some of her strongest creative impulses hit at 3 a.m. — scenes and characters would “wake her up” and demand to be written. That’s how The Jane Sparks Trilogy was born.

Twin Sisters, Twin Mysteries

At the heart of her trilogy: two sisters separated at birth — one an FBI agent, the other an SFPD lieutenant — pulled together by fate to solve two linked cases. The story blends family, suspense, and moral complexity.

Resilience Through Rejections

Xiomara doesn’t sugarcoat the publishing journey. She recounts how she received stacks of rejection letters — even on her own cover letter — and how persistence was her way forward.

Beyond the Page: Activism & Giving Back

She’s co-founder of Tu Casa Latina, a nonprofit supporting undocumented survivors of violence in getting immigration relief. SoundCloud Her work shows that storytelling and service can go hand in hand.

Reaching the Global Stage

One big milestone she mentions: her trilogy will be featured at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. SoundCloud That’s on top of the momentum she already has through Neil Haley’s global audience.