What is your writing process like?
I'm a life long 'panster', I just wing it mostly. I start with a general idea and then it starts flowing and the characters create themselves and tell me their stories. I make notes so I can keep track of who's who, and which characters are naughty and nice. I'm like Santa Claus without any reindeer.
How do you come up with ideas for stories and characters?
They pop into my head at the most unusual times. Sometimes a story idea and sometimes a character will just appear in vivid detail. I write it down, usually in my phone or on my tablet. But I'm known to write ideas on post-it notes, scrap paper, receipts, or mail. If I don't write down the ideas when they come I will forget them. I've always had a good imagination and it plagued me as a kid. I used to daydream a lot, now if I daydream, I write it down.
What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you?
Thankfully, not much. I was getting a little slow on my second book in the Forces of Nature series. I just kept writing even though it was slow going. I focused more on some other things for a little while, until the words started to flow at full speed again. Now it's almost finished.
How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
I try to take every comment at face value. If a reader doesn't like something in my story, that's their prerogative. But if they have a technical issue or plot hole to tell me about, I check for myself and fix it if it needs fixing. I don't love every book I read, and that's okay. I'm thankful for every review because they help authors so much, even the negative ones.
How long have you been writing, or when did you start?
I've been writing stories as long as I've been reading them. I just never wrote many of them down. I used to tell my kids stories when they were growing up. Long car rides would turn into story time. I've started a few books over the years that didn't go anywhere.
In 2023, my daughter gave me a journal that she and I share and write different memories of her growing up inside. She gave it to me on Mother's Day. I wrote in it for the first time in June. I enjoyed writing in it so much I just decided to try to write a book. I worked furiously for about three weeks. Force of Corruption is the fruit of that labor. So my author 'birthday' is in late June, 2023.
What advice would you give writers working on their first book?
If you want to be an author, you need to know it's a lot more work than just writing the book. I'm an Indie Author, so I had to figure out how to publish my book and it wasn't as easy as I thought. Read, read, and read some more! Learn about your chosen profession. Buy your own ISBNs, hire an editor and a cover designer, and talk to other authors every chance you get on social media. They are full of helpful information. Good luck, and remember to enjoy the fun parts!
How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?
I have the spicy romantic suspense Forces of Nature Series, book one (Force of Corruption) is complete, book two (Force Majeure) is almost complete, and I have ideas for three and four. There's my horror short story, Haunted Hunting Camp, which is also indie published. I'm working on a stand alone, VioleNt, it's a horror story.
I like all of them, I might like VioleNt the best, not sure yet because it's not finished. The Female Main Character or FMC is wild, and I love her. Of course I really like Paige, my FMC in Force of Corruption, quite a bit too. I have a strong affinity for bada$$ female main characters, I want to be like them.
What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?
I struggle with the intimate scenes. They are complicated, it's not easy to make them realistic and not repetative. Plus, I still get embarrassed writing them and talking about them. I had such a difficult time letting my family and friends read my work because of it. At first I told absolutely no one I was writing to avoid the inevitable sexy scene discussion. My daughter 'caught me' writing and outed me accidentally to friends and family. It's been good, and I'm less embarrassed now than when I started. Hopefully it will get better over time.
Fight scenes are hard too. I've never been in a physical fight. I have to work hard to get everything just right. Then I have someone who has fought, look it over and let me know if it's realistic.
What inspired the idea for your book?
I'm not really sure when it comes to my spicy romantic suspense series. I literally just started writing and the story told itself. I thought it would be completely different when I started, I have to say I'm very happy with where the story has gone.
My short story was inspired by a true crime. It was a horrific murder very close to where I was living at the time. It polarized our small community and eventually the country, I grieved for the victim. I cried for her family. The awful details unfolded and branded themselves into my brain. When I started writing, it was one of the first stories I wanted to tell. My version is completely fictional.
What was your hardest scene to write, and why?
In my short story, Haunted Hunting Camp, it was the assault. It happened to the victim so I had to tell it, but it was very difficult for me to do. I made it as brief and lacking in details as I could, but I still had to write about the aftermath and the effects on the FMC. I think it's the worst crime that can be committed against a person, the deepest violation of a person.
It's very painful because I know people who have been traumatized in this way, and I've watched their struggles after it happened. I cried when I wrote it, and I usually cry when I read it. I commonly skip chapter five to avoid it.
What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
I need a drink, usually water. I love to have music playing. I'm not always alone in the room though, I can't play music if others are trying to watch TV or some other activity. I'm pretty good at focusing when I sit down to write. I set my mind to the task and the world drifts away as I lose myself in the story.
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
That's so difficult to answer because I've been a Stephen King fan most of my life and I think it would be fascinating to chat with him. Later in my reading years, I became a Jane Austen fan. Talking with her about her stories and characters would be amazing, if she were alive.
I think I would have to go with the somewhat lesser known, C.M. Stunich or J. Bree. They are the authors of my favorite current series. If I'm really lucky, maybe I will get a chance to chat with one of them, some day.
When was the last time you Googled yourself and what did you find?
It was a few weeks ago at the prompting of a friend. I found my short story, Haunted Hunting Camp. I was excited because I've never been anything on a Google search before.