Q: In one sentence, tell me something that describes you as a person?
A: I am an energetic, empathetic mother of two who believes in true love, compassion and the restorative powers of a good book.
Q: How many books have you written? How many of those are published?
A: I have written one book, Wallflower Blooming, which was published by Wooden Pants Publishing in 2016. It’s my first novel, and the first in a series.
Q: Do you have an upcoming release? If yes, tell me the title and impending release date.
A: The follow-up to Wallflower Blooming is set to release in January 2017. The title is still in the works but coming soon.
Q: If you could “create” your own genre of what you write, what would you call your books?
A: “Real Women” Fiction with a splash of intrigue and romance
Q: Without quoting your back cover synopsis, tell me about the last book you published.
A: At its core, Wallflower Blooming is about a woman, Val, who struggles with taking risks, both personally and professionally. Her close relationship with her cousin Gwen becomes the catalyst for growth. As Val takes an honest look at her past and the things that motivate her, she finds inner strength that she didn’t’ know she had and courage to face her fears and embrace a path quite different from the one she’d been on.
I love that Val is human. She’s intelligent and driven, but she bumbles around when it comes to relationships. She’s created this successful business, but she’s not much of a risk taker. She’s a mass of contradictions, as we all are, and despite her flaws, she’s able to get what she wants, even if it means taking the long away around. I feel lucky to write about a woman I would want to be friends with.
Q: Tell me something about yourself that is separate from writing.
A: Music feeds my soul. I grew up in a musical family (my parents are folk musicians) and singing has been a huge part of my life. I’m learning to play the ukulele, since I’ve never played an instrument before. Some of my favorite songs to play are the ones my parents wrote. As a child, I woke up every morning to the sound of my dad playing his guitar. I like to think that someday I’ll be good enough that my kids will wake up hearing me play the ukulele (instead of the awkward clunky practice that they hear now).
Q: Who is your favorite Author?
A: There are so many authors whose works I’ve fallen in love with. One author who will always hold a special place in my heart is Isabel Allende. Her book The House of the Spirits stands out for me as a work that brings history and culture to life through the experiences and struggles of her characters. The women in her stories remind me of my grandmother and the women in my family. I hope my books will touch readers like that.
Q: What is the last book that you read? (Not counting anything you wrote)
A: Wolf by Mo Hayder. It’s the 7th book in a series about Detective Inspector Jack Caffery. I’m a voracious reader of thrillers and crime novels.
In the past few weeks, I’ve also read Amy Schumer’s book The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, a few of the previous books in the Mo Hayder series, a few volumes of The Baby-Sitters Club with my daughter (because she wants to read “teenager books” but she’s only 7!) and working on finishing off the Atlantis Complex, part of the Artemis Fowl series, with my son. A lot of reading goes on in my house!
Q: When writing, do you have a system or something you plan, or do you just write?
A: I like to spend time walking through the story I am telling in my head and in conversation with my husband and my writing group before I sit down to write. I do minimal outlining, just enough to keep track of my thoughts. Then I just write. I try to get my thoughts down on paper as quickly as possible, knowing that I will go back and work on further developing my ideas when I’m done.
Q: Why do you write?
A: I write because it makes me happy. I’ve always enjoyed writing, even when it was for business pieces and websites back in my marketing days. Getting to spend my days writing brings me joy, and I feel incredibly fortunate in my chosen career.
Q: Any final thoughts that you want to give to your fans or even future authors?
A: I’ve always been a big reader and I’ve always loved meeting authors. Getting to know them make their books so much more interesting to me. Now, as an author, it’s just as amazing to get to know my readers and how they interact with my work. So, please reach out, my readers. I’d be so glad to hear from you.
For future writers, I say write, write, write! It takes a lot of commitment and often some pretty creative time management, but the pay off is so worth it. Don’t let anyone discourage you. There are a lot of writers out there trying to make it, but there are also a lot of readers and our tastes are varied. Don’t be afraid to get your work out in front of people and be prepared to listen to feedback so you’ll improve.
