NATASHA BRUNE REDEFINES HER REBIRTH THROUGH “THE WISE MARIE” - VORAKA.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN VORAKA

Article Published on 4 Nov 2025 by Aria Bloom | www.vorakamag.com

NATASHA BRUNE

Natasha Brune is a published author whose work captures the intersection of hardship, healing, and human transformation. Through her writing and nonprofit leadership, she gives voice to resilience, exploring what it means to rise, rebuild, and redefine one’s story.

As the founder of the Aloha Jigsaw Foundation, Natasha leads initiatives that empower youth through education, mentorship, and emotional development. The foundation’s flagship program, the Aloha Jigsaw Youth Academy, focuses on helping young people cultivate confidence, life skills, and self-awareness, guiding them toward a future shaped by purpose rather than circumstance. A lifelong entrepreneur, she and her husband have also built a successful real estate portfolio valued at nearly $8 million, managing multiple LLCs and demonstrating the transformative power of discipline, vision, and renewal. 

Behind her professional success lies an extraordinary personal journey. Born and raised in a modest home by her mother and stepfather, Bud, Natasha’s early years were defined by quiet complexity. For most of her life, she believed the man she knew as a family friend, a published author from the Adirondacks, was simply that, unaware that he was, in fact, her biological father. In 2018, an Ancestry.com DNA test  revealed the truth. The discovery, that he had always known, reshaped her understanding of family, forgiveness, and identity, opening a new chapter of reconciliation and healing.

Natasha’s path has been marked by extremes, from addiction and incarceration to education and empowerment. After completing a three-and-a-half-year residential rehabilitation program, she pursued education with fierce determination, graduating from Heald College with a perfect 4.0 GPA and never missing a single day. That same year, her transformation was formally recognized when she received a full pardon from the Governor of Hawaii.

As an author, Natasha writes with a voice born of lived truth. Her storytelling bridges beauty and pain, hope and loss, success and vulnerability. She speaks to those who have been overlooked or underestimated, offering a message that redemption isn’t handed to you, it’s built, decision by decision. She continues to use her platform to inspire, educate, and connect with audiences across generations. Whether through her books, foundation work, or speaking engagements, she champions authenticity, self-belief, and second chances. Her story is a living reminder that no matter how turbulent the past, it is never too late to heal, to rebuild, and to rise again.

ABOUT THE BOOK

THE WISE MARIE BY NATASHA BRUNE

BUY NOW

The Wise Marie: Paradise Edition is more than a crime story, it’s a deeply moving narrative that weaves together themes of resilience, culture, trauma, and healing. Set against the backdrop of Hawaii’s breathtaking beauty and cultural complexity, Natasha Brune invites readers into a world where paradise is anything but perfect. The book explores the often-untold realities of life in the islands, from the struggles of day-to-day survival to the scars left by abuse, broken systems, and generational pain. Drawing from her own lived experiences and the stories of people she has encountered throughout her life, Brune crafts a fictionalized but deeply authentic collection of moments and memories.

Through the eyes of unforgettable characters, particularly Ace, whose story will break hearts, readers witness the raw truth of a life shaped by hardship, the fight for freedom, and the power of personal transformation. The narrative is infused with rich details about Hawaiian culture, the sacred relationship with the land (ʻāina), the vibration of the ocean, the importance of family and community, culinary traditions, and the blend of humor and humility that locals carry.

Brune also challenges the mainstream fantasy of Hawaiian living, shedding light on the harsh economic realities many residents face, often working multiple jobs just to stay afloat in so-called paradise.

At its core, this book is a powerful message of perseverance and redemption. From surviving a violent past to building a future rooted in purpose, The Wise Marie: Paradise Edition is about finding strength amid chaos and hope in unlikely places. 

With this first volume, Natasha Brune delivers an unapologetically honest and emotionally resonant story. Readers will find not only suspense and grit but also a call to compassion, community, and change. The Wise Marie: Paradise Edition is a courageous offering from a writer who lives her message: anything is possible.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NATASHA BRUNE

VORAKA: What inspired you to write for both children and adults, and how do you shift between those worlds?

NATASHA: My mentor, Peggy McColl, sparked the idea during her Author’s Edge program. Within 24 hours, I wrote Wise Marie and the Little Ladybug, now my top-selling children’s book, which is Marie Before She Becomes Dark. I shift easily, children’s stories channel wonder; adult tales process pain into purpose.

VORAKA: Who is Wise Marie to you, and how did she come to represent something greater than a storybook character?

To continue reading the full interview, click here to download our latest issue.