What
genre do you write and why?
When I first began writing, I
honestly wasn’t sure which genre I was in! My books were about a love story but
they also had tension with a central mystery. I didn’t realize it, but I was
writing romantic suspense. Now I can’t imagine writing anything outside of this
genre!
Tell us about your
latest book.
I Can Handle Him is about a young woman who falls
for a man rebuilding his life but when disaster strikes, he must fight to prove
his innocence and to protect his true love. It’s also a great story of best
friends: the young woman, Quinn, and her best friend Tory. They are
reconnecting for a summer after Quinn has graduated with her Master’s and Tory
is about to finish law school. Their history as friends is deep, and there
isn’t anything they wouldn’t do for each other. Even when the unimaginable
happens, one of them gives unwavering support, even at her own expense. And in
the center of it all is a hot-looking, troubled man who ends up his own journey
of rebuilding and love.
What did you edit out
of this book?
Actually, not much! This is my fifth novel so I
have developed a solid outlining process. I take a binder and have one sheet of
paper for each chapter where I outline what I want to have happen. I didn’t
have to edit much out, but I did have to add chapters.
How was this book
published? (traditional, small press, self pub, etcc...) Why did you choose that particular publishing
route?
I’m self-published and have never looked back!
When I first began, I read how you are supposed to query agents – like ten a
week – so I began sending queries and sent a total of five when I stopped. I
questioned why I was doing this when I can control everything if I self-publish.
I think if your goal is to be a published author, and maybe you have invested
in a degree in writing, then seeking and landing an agent probably fits with
your goals. For me, I was on a journey of self-discovery so self-publishing
allowed me to control that journey. Here’s a good example: I recently
participated in a large book fair and my booth was next to a small publisher.
They had two or three copies of books from each author they represent. The most
they could sell for an author is two or three copies. I sold dozens of books
from my booth plus I had a blast meeting people! Also, I’m seeing a trend where
small publishers require the authors they represent to have their books
professionally edited before submitting manuscripts. I get my books
professionally edited, so if I’ve already checked that box, why do I need that
publisher? I think it comes down to your goals as an author and what is
important to you and how you want to measure success.
How do you select the
names of your characters?
After I scribble out my character attributes, I
use a baby name book for inspiration. I try to balance main character names
with one unusual name (like Quinn in I
Can Handle Him) with a more common name (like her best friend, Tory).
Sometimes I give a nod to a real friend. In I
Can Handle Him, I had a friend helping me with attributes for a particular
character and when it came time to choose this character’s name, we just
couldn’t get past my friend’s real name. So, the character Daniel in I Can Handle Him, was born. When I was
writing my first book, Plebeian Revealed,
I was in a store looking at a beautiful dress that I imagined would be the kind
of dress a character would wear. It was a Ralph Lauren dress and that’s how I
came up with the name Lauren, the main character of the Plebeian trilogy.
Do you read your book
reviews? How do you deal with the bad or good ones?
Oh yes, I do read reviews! Positive reviews give
me life and energize my day. I’m so happy when I hear that my books gave a
reader an enjoyable experience. Those reviews make me want to write more! And actually,
I have agreed with some things the not-so-positive ones have pointed out.
Recently a reviewer said a character in Plebeian
Revealed was so annoying she wanted to slap her in the middle of the book
and I was like, “me too!” But I know that character’s annoyance was by design. I
needed her to be weak and mushy because when a similar situation happens in the
second book, Plebeian In Danger, her
reaction is remarkably different. She has learned. She is stronger. But her
sudden boldness really screws things up then!
Who are your favourite
authors?
This question exposes my weakness: I’m not a
reader! I have not read a book in years. And I hear that as a writer, I’m
“supposed” to be a reader, but I’m not. I’m not a movie-goer either. I should
probably add “read a book” or “see a movie” as a New Year’s resolution!
Where
can a reader purchase your book?
All of my novels can be
purchased wherever books are sold. Paperbacks are available on Amazon and
barnesandnoble.com or any retailer can order for you. eBooks are available on
Amazon, barnesandnoble.com, iBooks, GooglePlay, Smashwords and Kobo.
Who inspires
you?
You! I find inspiration everywhere. I
may see a woman at the mall with a style I think would be perfect for a
character. I read social media posts from friends and get ideas, like the
cheap, couponing boyfriend in I Can
Handle Him and his refillable movie popcorn bag came from a post I read. At
a local diner in a city where I lived, the breakfast regulars were so fun, I
developed characters in my novel The
Doctor, the Chef or the Firemen around them. Positive (and negative)
inspiration is all around. I’m always looking and learning!
Who or what inspired
you to become a writer?
I saw a TV commercial for a self-esteem
campaign encouraging little girls to dream big and do anything they want. I
thought: why not grown women too? I had an idea in my head, a daydream really,
from letting my mind wander during my daily treadmill walks (as I try to lose
the ten pounds I’ve been trying to lose for the last twenty years.) One day I
got off of the treadmill, sat down at my desk, started my computer, opened a
blank Word document, and started typing. I typed for a month! Releasing those
thoughts was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. Then I
literally Googled “What do you do if you think you wrote a book” and that
Google search started an incredible journey (one where I still, unfortunately,
haven’t lost those last ten pounds)
