Interview with Glynis Astie

Hello wonderful reader. How's it going? 

I personally have been swamped with a crazy summer semester on top of working 36 weekly (unpaid) hours at the hospital. Which is why there hasn't been a review in a hot minute. But I promise I have a few reviews in the works at the moment so stay tuned. 

One fun thing I've been up to is chatting with Glynis Astie the fabulous rom-com writer. You may have seen my Review of her novel Gamer Girl back in May. This is a fantastic 5* book and Book of the Month winner so you can imagine my excitement when she agreed to do an interview with me!

Enjoy,

Interview with Glynis Astie

Firstly I would like to congratulate you on a wonderful book. Gamer Girl blew my mind. I thought the dialogue was absolutely fantastic. From the characters voices, to their attitudes, to the thoughtfulness of their words and the immersive feel of the conversations. Can you tell me a little bit about your process of writing dialogue?

Thank you so much, O! I really enjoyed writing Gamer Girl. I remember having trouble writing dialogue for my first book, French Twist. When I saw the words on paper, I felt this bizarre need for everything to be formal, as though I were handing in a research paper to a professor. (Seriously, I didn’t use contractions or slang—not even the occasional swear word. It sounded totally off!) Thankfully, I received early feedback that my dialogue sounded stilted. From then on, I made it a regular practice to read what I wrote out loud, which made it easy to see where I needed to make corrections. It was a lot of fun to add different voices and intonations while I read (my cats were highly entertained) and I did my best to add descriptors to capture these nuances for the reader.

I suspected you might do that. It really does give it an authentic feel!



When you imagine Morgan do you have a celebrity doppelganger in mind for him? I'm sure my viewers would appreciate the visual ;)

It’s funny, but before you posed this question, I hadn’t really thought about it. All of my other books are based on my life, so I’ve never had to imagine what my characters look like. Although I was asked once who would play the major characters in movies of my French Twist series and it was fun to think about, but that’s a story for another time. After I read your question, I searched Pinterest and eventually struck gold. Sam Claflin would make a great Morgan—he’s GORGEOUS, he can play to both Morgan’s goofy and serious sides AND we already know he can rock an American accent. Thanks for prompting me to search for the visual, O!

As the title suggested, our protagonist Meri is a gamer girl. I have to say I loved the back story for that it was very well thought out and meaningful, but I digress. So, are you also a gamer?

I have something very sad to tell you, O. I have NO gaming skills. None whatsoever. I wish I did, because I love video games, but I’m missing the necessary hand-eye coordination. My youngest surpassed my skill level when he was about three. Every once in a while, he’ll ask me to play, but becomes frustrated because I can’t keep up. (And I go through lives like they’re going out of style.)

I was actually inspired to write Gamer Girl after watching a video game documentary with my husband. I really liked the idea of a character leading two lives—one inside the game and one outside—and that these two lives could converge in the most interesting ways.

Congratulations on your recent release of French Roast. I hope I get to read it very soon. What similarities are there between Gamer Girl and the French Twist series?

Thank you, O! There are certainly some similarities between the two. Meri and Sydney both lack confidence, though for different reasons and they show this in different ways. Meri is a lot better at covering up her insecurities than Sydney. Sydney (who is my alter ego) has a tendency to catastrophize and to say some seriously crazy things. My heroes are certainly swoon-worthy, although Morgan is a lot more flawed than Louis. (Knowing my husband would be reading how I portrayed him as Louis, I had to be on my best behavior.) Both books also have a bevy of side characters, including a wise cracking older character who often becomes a favorite of readers. Grams was completely fictional—just an amalgam of old Jewish lady stereotypes coupled with my imagination—while Teddy was based on my father. I’ve been told by my siblings that I captured him perfectly, and I’m extremely proud of this. If only he had lived to read my tribute to him. (It’s a given he would have given me a list of corrections, but it would have been a wonderful conversation.)

What time frame do the 4 books of the French Twist Series cover?

The first book begins just as I met my husband and the last book ends ten years later. These books were a joy to write, although the last one was bittersweet as it dealt with a very difficult time in my life. In the end, writing the last installment was very healing for me and I’m incredibly proud of the result.

Tell me about your inspiration for the French Twist series and about how much of the story would you say is based on reality?

About a year after my second son was born, I had a dream that I wrote a book about how I met and married my husband in six months. The idea was so foreign to me as I had never imagined writing a book. I had decided to stay home with my boys, so I had the time and decided to give it a whirl. I wrote the first book in about three months and was very pleased with the results. (I have learned a lot since then and just may go back to spruce it up!) I would say about seventy-five percent of the first book is based on reality, with the total dropping to about sixty percent for the next two and coming back to seventy-five percent for the last one. In most cases, the events are accurate, but the timeline has been changed. I’m not quite sure how this happened, but the change in chronology helped the story progress in a more digestible manner.

Are you currently writing anything?

I’m a creature of habit, O. I write in the fall, edit in the winter, release in the spring, and take the summer off. I will be thrilled to spend the summer with my boys, and when the fall rolls around, I will be starting my next book, which is going to be a bit of a departure for me. I plan to tell the story from three different points of view and in a rather unique manner. That’s all I can tell you for now, but keep your eyes peeled over the summer for more details!

Oh, I love that routine! I hope you guys have a fantastic summer and I will keep my eyes peeled! 

Thank you so much for chatting with me. It was truly a pleasure and I look forward to reading more of your books. 

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Guest Post by Glynis Astie

Review of Gamer Girl

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Interview with author Andrew Joyce

Hello everyone! I recently had the honor of interviewing Andrew Joyce about his novel "Yellow Hair." A historical fiction based on historical facts!

Please tell me about your novel, "Yellow Hair"?

Through no fault of his own, a young man is thrust into a new culture just at the time that culture is undergoing massive changes. It is losing its identity, its lands, and its dignity. He not only adapts, he perseveres and, over time, becomes a leader—and on occasion, the hand of vengeance against those who would destroy his adopted people.

Yellow Hair speaks to the injustices done to the Sioux Nation from their first treaty with the United States in 1805 through Wounded Knee in 1890. Every death, murder, battle, and outrage written about actually took place. The historical figures that play a role in this fact-based tale of fiction were real people and I use their real names. Yellow Hair is an epic tale of adventure, family, love, and hate that spans most of the 19th century.


What would you most like the reader to take away from this book?

That it was an enjoyable read and perhaps a little informative.


What inspired you to write "Yellow Hair"?

The inspiration for the book came to me when I was reading a short article and it made reference to the Great Sioux Uprising of 1862. It also mentioned that the outcome involved the largest mass execution in the history of the United States. That piqued my interest.

When I started my research into the incident, one thing led to another and before I knew it, I was documenting the entire history of the Sioux, who are also known as the Dakota, vis-à-vis the relationship between them and the United States.


How did you go about researching for it?

I want to say that I learned the hard way how important proper research is. But it wasn’t really that hard of a lesson. In my first book, which takes place in the last half of the 19th century, I made two mistakes. I had the date of an event off by one year and I had my hero loading the wrong caliber cartridge into his Winchester rifle. I would have gone blissfully throughout life not knowing how I had erred if not for my astute fans. Both mistakes were quickly pointed out to me in reviews of the book. One guy said he would have given me five stars if not for the wrong caliber bullet mistake. I had to settle for only four stars. Lesson learned!

Before I get into telling you about the year-long research I did for Yellow Hair, I’d like to tell you how I researched my second and third books and describe what that research entailed.
My second book was a western and the protagonist was a woman. The research took about three months. I had to know everything from women’s undergarments of the late 19th century to prison conditions for women in those days. (I sent my heroine to jail.) That kind of research was easy. Thank God for the internet. But then I had to do some real research. Molly (my protagonist) built up her cattle ranch to one of the largest in Montana, but she and her neighbors had nowhere to sell their beef. So Molly decided to drive her and her neighbors’ cattle to Abilene where she could get a good price. She put together the second largest herd on record (12,000 head) and took off for Abilene.

That’s when I had to really go to work. I wanted my readers to taste the dust on the trail. I wanted them to feel the cold water at river crossing. I wanted them to know about the dangers of the trail, from rustlers to Indians to cattle stampedes.

This is how I learned about all those things and more. First of all, I found old movies that were authentic in nature. I watched them to get a feel for the trail. Then I read books by great authors who had written about cattle drives to soak up even more of the atmosphere of a cattle drive. That was all well and good, but it still did not put me in the long days of breathing dust and being always fearful of a stampede.

That’s when I went looking for diaries written by real cowboys while they were on the trail. After that, I found obscure self-published books written by those cowboys. Then it was onto newspaper articles written at the time about large cattle drives. That’s how I had Molly herd the second largest cattle drive. I discovered that the largest was 15,000 head, driven from Texas to California in 1882.

My next book took place in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897. Here new elements were added such as wolves and the extreme weather as adversaries. Dogsledding was also involved. I have seen snow only three times in my life and I have never dogsledded. I knew even less about wolves. I had to learn about those things. I had no idea what it was like to travel across a wilderness on a dogsled at seventy degrees below zero. I also had to acquire knowledge about the dogs themselves, especially the lead dog. I learned about all that by doing the same things I did for my second book. The old diaries were the most helpful. As to the gold rush, there was plenty of material in the form of self-published books by some of the participants. Some were never even published, but I found copies of them in the archives of universities and historical societies. Again, newspaper stories printed at the time were very useful. Concerning wolves . . . I read everything I could get my hands on about wolves—their habits, the pack hierarchy, the alpha male, and the different jobs or tasks the males and females have while hunting.

Now we come to Yellow Hair. As I mentioned above, the book is about the Sioux Nation from 1805 to 1890. I had to know both points of view, the white man’s and the Sioux’s. Getting to know the whites’ take on things was easy. There are many, many books (non-fiction) that were written at the time. I even found a book written by Custer detailing his strategy for wiping out the Sioux entirely. That was hard reading. And, again, there were universities and historical societies whose archives were a great help.

As to the Sioux’s point of view, there are a few books that were dictated to newspapermen years later by the Indians that took part in the various battles that I weave into my story. I found a lot of material from Native American participants of the Little Big Horn, written twenty to thirty years after the fact.

But I wanted to immerse myself in the Sioux culture and I wanted to give them dignity by using their language wherever possible. I also wanted to introduce them by their Sioux names. So, I had to learn the Lakota language. And that wasn’t easy. There is a consortium that will teach you, but they wanted only serious students. You have to know a smattering of the language before they will even deign to let you in. I had to take a test to prove that I knew some Lakota. I failed the first time and had to go back to my Lakota dictionary and do some more studying. I got in on my second try.


Wow, that is amazing, and what dedication! 
What has been the best experience for you in your time as a writer?

When I get a review stating that my humble offering was enjoyed by the reader.


What was your biggest challenge while writing "Yellow Hair"?

The research.


What advice would you give to someone who wants to write a novel like this one?

My advice to anyone who wants to get into writing a novel, not just historical fiction, but any genre, is to read, read . . . and then read some more. Read everything you can get your hands on! Reading to a writer is as medical school is to a doctor, as physical training is to an athlete, as breathing is to life. When one reads stuff like the passage below, one cannot help but become a better writer.
"The afternoon came down as imperceptibly as age comes to a happy man. A little gold entered into the sunlight. The bay became bluer and dimpled with shore-wind ripples. Those lonely fishermen who believe that the fish bite at high tide left their rocks and their places were taken by others, who were convinced that the fish bite at low tide.”—John Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat
AND: Never, ever, ever, ever respond to a negative review!!!

Great advice! Thank you so much for chatting with me and sharing such helpful details about your research! 

I hope everyone enjoys this post and will check out the amazing novels by Andrew Joyce! Find handy links below. 

About the Author:

Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. He wouldn’t return from his journey until decades later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written five books, including a two-volume collection of one hundred and fifty short stories comprised of his hitching adventures called BEDTIME STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS (as yet unpublished), and his latest novel, YELLOW HAIR. He now lives aboard a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his dog, Danny, where he is busy working on his next book, tentatively entitled, MICK REILLY.

Andrew Joyce is the recipient of the 2013 Editor’s Choice Award for Best Western for his novel, Redemption: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer.

Author Links:

Andrew Joyce Official Site

Andrew Joyce on Amazon

Goodreads

Facebook

Links to find the novel, Yellow Hair:

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iTunes
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Love Westerns? Check out more books by Andrew Joyce: 

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Q&A with Valerie Ryan

Today I am thrilled to welcome author Valerie Ryan to the blog for an interview!

Tell me a little about your book, Seven of I: The Keeper of the Words?

The story takes place in the future many centuries after what is called “The Wrath of God”. The main character, Syntyche, tells the story the best way she knows how and uses information she has gathered from her friends. She is not only a reluctant hero, but a reluctant story teller as well. The only reason she is writing the story is because she was told she has to. You see, she is only 15 years old and trying to live a normal life. Well, as normal as you can when you can see guardian angels walking around and live in a mansion with a very wealthy father with a diverse staff always around. Syntyche learns about a prophecy, one that she is supposed to be a part of, and begins to unravel the secrets behind it. She is to help assist in closing the seven gates of Hell. The tricky part will be to defeat the seven demons who guard those gates. In order to do this, the seven Archangels must be witness, while humans who are either blessed or cursed with a virtue and sin must help. The prophecy is very specific, but the people involved don’t really like specifics. Add into the mix a Griffin, phoenix, dragon and a demonic soul watcher to help, and you have a story with endless possibilities.

I’ve spent many years researching the book and the stories about the hierarchy of the angels, deadly sins and virtues come from the Book of Enoch and the teachings of Pope Gregory I. With inspiration from the Divine Comedy by Dante.

Will there be a sequel to Seven of I: The Keeper of the Words, if so what will that be like?

There will be seven books total in the story. One book for every sin, virtue and gate of Hell. The first book deals with the sin of lust and the virtue of chastity. The second book will deal with Sloth and Diligence and each new book will continue on with the sins and corresponding virtue. I want the books to be young adult friendly, so I’m not going into great details about the sins or lecturing about the greatness of the virtues. There are hints and actions that can be inferred as what is going on based on the knowledge of the reader. I am also trying to make each book friendly to anyone of any religion which is my greatest challenge. After saying all this, the books are more about the characters and their interactions with the prophecy, and also about growing up.

What do you think makes your novel unique, or what is a special feature of it? 

I think that my stories are unique because it is about working together and how you cannot defeat evil without it being a group effort. They go back to the tradition of good versus evil where the evil is identified with familiar names that we’ve all heard. The twist is the angels. Many people forget that demons are fallen angels which does complicate things. My stories will never forget that characteristic about them.

Do you have any other projects planned, what are you currently working on?

Writing the Seven of I books are taking up a good portion of my time. That said, I’ve been thinking of writing a non-fiction book for parents raising children who are ADHD. I am ADHD and am currently raising two children with it. I’ve found myself talking to many parents explaining the children’s behavior and have been told I should write out it.

What is the biggest thing you have learned in the journey of having your book published?

Having my book published by a publishing company did not mean much. No marketing is done for authors and very little editing. I learned that I have to be self-sufficient and I’ll have to try to find the money to have my next book edited by a professional. I’m looking into different avenues of self-publishing for my next book or hoping to find a literary agent.

What advice could you give to aspiring authors?

Remember being an author will not give you tons of money or lots of recognition. Just write because it is in your heart to write. Tell stories and read many books. Talk to people and watch everyone you meet for idea’s.

The cover of your novel is gorgeous! What advice could you give to other writers to get great book covers? 

Let me tell you something about my book cover. This is one of the few reasons why getting a publisher is better than doing it yourself. The book cover designer at the publishing company asked me what I would like for my cover. I gave him detailed descriptions of what I thought would be good. I was a bit wordy and tried to be descriptive. What he sent back was nothing what I expected. He took just a few words and one description and came up with one of the best book covers I have ever seen! I’m so glad he didn’t listen to a word I said. I am so happy with it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I love the idea of 7 books using the 7 sins and their corresponding virtues. I can't wait to read your novel! I also think a book on ADHD would be very helpful to many people. Thank you for also sharing helpful information for other writers. Being self-sufficient is key, becoming a published writer is quite the learning process. Thanks again for joining us. I hope you all enjoyed this and will check out Seven of I: The Keeper of the Words!

- O

Win this book in this giveaway contest! (ends May 31st, 2016)

Find more information on Seven of I: The Keeper of the Words

and the author, Valerie Ryan at these links:

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Q&A with Michelle Areaux - Debut Author (GUEST POST)

Q&A with Michelle Areaux

Hello everyone! Today I am pleased to welcome Michelle Areaux to the blog for an interview. Michelle Areaux is the debut author of Wicked Cries, she is also a mother and a middle school teacher. 

Tell me a little about your novel ‘Wicked Cries’?

            Wicked Cries is a young adult, paranormal mystery. The story revolves around Sadie, a sixteen year old high school student who plays messenger to the dead. Basically, if someone has unfinished business to take care of before they pass to the afterlife, they contact Sadie to send the message to their loved one.

            The story begins as Sadie’s family decides to move from California to Salem, MA, where she uncovers that the dead didn’t stay behind. Once in her new home, Sadie uncovers a hidden journal left by Elizabeth. While reading the journal, Sadie learns that Elizabeth was condemned for practicing witchcraft, even though she declares her innocence. Sadie makes it her mission to uncover the truth about Elizabeth’s death and the history behind one of America’s most notorious moments in history; The Salem Witch Trials.

            Of course, this story isn’t just about ghosts and history. I included several themes of friendship (Sadie learns to make new friends with Noah and Lucy), trust (Sadie has to find the ability to trust herself to make right decisions and trust her new friends with her secret), bullying, (Sadie becomes the target of the mean girl at school), and courage as Sadie has to find courage within herself to overcome her fears to clear Elizabeth’s name.

What was your inspiration for 'Wicked Cries'?

            My inspiration came from a dream I had of a girl finding a hidden journal. In my dream, I couldn’t see what was in that journal, but I knew I could twist the idea into something fun. Also, have always been intrigued by the Salem Witch Trials so I thought it would be fun to write a story that incorporated real and imagined events. While in college, I had a history course where we had to focus on an event in history. I chose the Salem Witch Trials and with my new knowledge, dream, and desire to be a published author, I began writing Wicked Cries.

As an educator how would you inspire your students who hope to become writers someday?

            As an educator, one of the perks of my job is that I get to talk about books and writing all day! When my students ask about writing or how I began my journey with writing books, I simply tell them to just start writing down their ideas, even if they don’t flow right away. I like to remind my students that everyone, even the big stars, musicians, athletes, and writers, were all at one point beginners. I began writing stories back in elementary school. Of course, they were silly and had no real point, but at least I was writing. I decided that writing and reading stories made me happy so I did it. I always pass that on to my students, especially the ones who aspire to be writers one day. It is easy to become discouraged in the publishing industry. Your writing may not be for everyone, but I always strive to remind people that you should write for you first and everyone else second.

            When I wrote Wicked Cries and Runaway, I would write down events and ideas as they came. Later I would fill in the blanks and add more dialogue and plot as needed. The key to writing is just to do it. For those that truly aspire to be writers someday, I make myself open to them. I let them know they can ask me questions and for several students, I review their writing and give my feedback. It is really fun to watch kids dream big!

I know a lot of people worry about the literacy of our youth today. What kind of advice could you give to help us get children interested in reading and writing?

            This is a great question and one that many educators like myself struggle with every day. My advice to get kids interested in reading and writing is to start them off with stories that interest them. Once a kid gets hooked on a certain topic or genre, they will go back and look for sequels or more stories like that. However, if you make a kid read books they hate, you ruin them from an early age. I like to give my students reading projects with several options based on their learning styles and creativity. I give them free range on what genres to read. I want them to learn and show me they understand the standards, but more importantly, I want them to enjoy doing it. With writing, that is another beast. I have found that again, giving kids options to select a topic that interests them, motivates more kids to write. For example, my students are writing an argumentative essay in class right now where they have to argue why the Children’s Bill of Rights are important. I have kids writing anything from why other countries should adopt these rights to how a topic like Designer Babies goes against the rights. Either way, I am still assessing their knowledge, only they get to pick the topic they enjoy, which makes their writing better because they care about what they are writing about.

           

In a more condensed version, just let kids read what makes them happy. The rest will follow!

Congratulations on your upcoming release of ‘Runaway’! Do you have another project planned next?

            Thank you so much! This whole publishing thing is still very surreal to me. Currently, I am finalizing the editing phases of the sequel to Wicked Cries and I just began the sequel to Runaway. On top of that, I have two children’s books that I am having illustrations created for before I submit to my publisher for review.

            I am also going a little out of my norm and I have started writing another novel, this one in the New Adult genre, which will be a little darker and more intense than the previous books I have published. I am really excited about this!

How did the experience of writing 'Wicked Cries' and 'Runaway' vary?

            When I first began writing Wicked Cries, it was almost ten years ago. I was a college student and my responsibilities were limited. I was able to find free time to write and edit as needed. However, once finished, I was too scared to submit the story to any publishers. It took almost eight years after its making before I found the courage to send Wicked Cries to agents and publishers. I had started Runaway about six years ago, but once I had my first son, I found that time for writing was hard to find. My role as a mom and educator made it more difficult to find the time to write, but I guess you could say I am a multi-tasker. When I set my mind to do something, I just do it. Both stories were fun to write, just in very different ways. Wicked Cries allowed me to delve into my imagination and go places that I couldn’t with realistic fiction. I also had to really do my research. I wanted the information I presented about The Salem Witch Trials to be accurate and I didn’t want to offend anyone. With Runaway, I enjoyed researching different locations I had not visited and including places I had been. I felt like I was on the journey with Hallie and Jackson (Runaway) as they traveled around the globe.

YA novels are a very popular genre beloved by so many people, do you enjoy reading YA novels as well as writing them? 'Wicked Cries' is a YA Paranormal Mystery, do you have any plans to write a novel of a different genre?

             I absolutely love reading young adult and new adult novels. I have found that writing these types of genres is just as much fun as reading them. I feel that with YA novels, you can be a kid again yourself. I wrote about first loves, high school drama, friendships, and family relationships. These are all things everyone, regardless if you are a teen or adult, can relate to.

            I have plans for a few more children’s books which will be completely different from the paranormal side of Wicked Cries. Also, I plan on making Wicked Cries into a three or four part series. My goal as an author is to write a little of everything. I think what I am most excited about is the new adult novel I am working on. Like I mentioned earlier, it is a little out of my comfort zone and usual writing style, but I am really having fun writing this book. It is too early to give too many details yet, but I can tell you this; this new adult novel will be intense, raw, and have an edge of romance that I have not brought to my other novels. With that being said, I am still a teacher and mother. I will not write a Fifty Shades of Gray (even though I love that book), but I think this book could be a more tame version of a Jamie McGuire or Colleen Hoover novel. I absolutely adore those authors and can only dream of achieving their level of success one day!

I look forward to seeing the other books you'll write! Thank you so much for taking the time to have this chat with me! 

Michelle Areaux is the author of Wicked Cries 

Wicked Cries on Barnes and Noble

Wicked Cries on Amazon

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Michelle Areaux's official website

Visit Black Rose Writing for pre-order information on Michelle Areaux's novels and discover other great books.

Q&A with India R Adams

Q&A with Author: India R Adams

Hello Everyone! I am excited today to be chatting with India R Adams the author of 'Blue Waters' which I recently reviewed here. Blue Waters is a YA Romance novel with a thoroughly exciting plot. Soon I will be reading for review the sequel Black Waters. If this is a genre you are interested in, pick up the book and we'll read it together! 

India R Adams

How did you get started on your writing journey?

​             By accident. I've been through a lot throughout my childhood, so, as an adult, I started reading self help books. A wonderful journey in itself that eventually led me to writing. I finished a complex book and was completely intrigued about the possibility of reenacting (in your mind) ​a part of your life. Giving it a different outcome to find some closure and healing. The next morning when I woke, I experimented​ with this notion​. It was quiet. Everyone still sleeping while I laid in bed reliving a memory. As I rewrote my history, I began writing Serenity.​ After a few drafts, she took a life of her own and has become quite the story.

What inspired the Tainted Waters series? 

​            Partly, ​my (at the time) seventeen-year-old daughter. She's a pistol. My rebel without a cause... I enjoy her complexity. She's a thinker, a dreamer, a fighter, and a beautiful person.​ The character that was born from this inspiration, Whitney, took shape of her own and told me her story.

 

How do you meet such challenging deadlines? 

            Blue Waters​ and Black Waters are my novellas to date. The rest of all my books are novels and epic novels. Presently, Serenity sits at 130,000 words. She's a massive novel that was written eight years ago. Over the years, she's become a 4 book series and a beta's favorite. Challenging deadlines have been with preparing and enduring 2 novellas and 4 novels (including Rain and Serenity—my biggest books) in editing—all at the same time. But, I got an idea in my head to offer fans the beginning of several series to see which one they enjoy most. So, I've been working crazy hours to make this happen between November 2015 and April 2016. Whichever series receives the most responses, will determine which book I released next. ​

What has your writing schedule been like? 

​            For the past 8 years, I write (or rewrite)​ for approximately 10 to 12 hours a day. Hours vary, depending on when the house is quiet or what stage the book is in. Creating a story, headphones are my best friend. Sometimes I pull all nighters because my brain is spitting out scenes like the 4th of July fireworks! Rewrites and editing take silence for me. 

The characters in Blue Waters were so charming and I thought their friendships were so touching. How do you create such great characters? 

​            First of all, thank you for the compliment. Very sweet of you. I get asked this question a lot, and I'm still not completely sure of the answer. Other than these characters seeming so real to me, I believe it's a combination of things. I've been fortunate to have some great friends throughout my life. I taught theater and believe understanding your character helps​ bring them to life. And I simply love banter. I find it very entertaining in books and in real life. 

Blue Waters was an emotional ride full of shocking plot points. What can we expect in Black Waters? 

​            O​h, Black Waters . When I think of this novella I can't help but smile. It wasn't supposed to even exist! Blue Waters was written to be my free giveaway in exchange for my email newsletter subscription (which it still is). I never expected the response and love I am receiving for this novella. So, what can you expect? Answers. Answers that shocked me as I wrote them. I cried many times writing this sequel. Two characters (you already know well) stole my heart. I loved them before, now I ADORE them. I won't say more and give away any spoilers but positive responses from betas has the third installment, Red Waters, already in the works. If fans want Red Waters in a hurry, I'm hoping they will let me know so I push it to the top of my list:)​ Maybe we could start a #redwatersmustbe ? lol! Don't forget, a review of Blue Waters on Amazon or any online retailer, gets you Black Waters for free. Just contact me through my website so we can confirm. Then we will email you your eBook. Yay!

Besides the Tainted Waters series do you have any other projects planned? 

​            My Wolf and Me is the next book I'm releasing. This stand alone novel will be available on April 26th (pre-sale within weeks). Then, on March 31st, I'm releasing the first NA novel of the Haunted Roads series, Steal Me . Steal Me is already available for pre-sale. This will be followed by the first release of A Stranger in the Woods, Rain another NA novel. The last scheduled book is Serenity the first YA novel of the Forever series, and will be released July 26th. If your readers want to sign up for my newsletter, they will receive discounts on jewelry deigned for characters of my books, and for the awareness of human trafficking/sexual slavery. Yes, I'm always trying to find ways to empower perfect imperfections.

What advice could you give to young people who hope to someday become writers as well?

​             Do it because you love it—not for money. Write, stay open minded, learn from your critics but don't be influenced to turn away from the love of expressing yourself through story. Keep writing (you'll get better), read, and learn your craft. And most importantly, never stop dreaming. If I had, I wouldn't be where I am today.

Thank you so much for listening to me! Hope to hear from you all soon!

My Wolf and Me - Release Date: Apr. 26, 2016

Their love was innocent.

Their friendship was pure. 

Their fear was real. 

Their danger was true.

When little Marlena is left to care for an abandoned wolf pup, her parents see their irrevocable bond, and this humble family embarks on an adventure trying to care for the needs of a rapidly growing wolf, and the needs of their headstrong daughter. The comical complications of such a venture only darken when Marlena, now a high school student, witnesses her wolf shift… into a young man. 

Steal Me - Release Date: May. 31, 2016

“Some relationships have hidden truths that few can survive. Only us strong ones can dare listen to, and have the balls to stay and bear witness to, the result of irrevocable damages. So tell me, Maverick, are you one of the strong?”

Maverick, unfortunately, is well aware of Tucker’s meaning. Mav has recently lost his father, his mother is slipping into a depression, and his little sister is in desperate need of a parental figure. But now he’s losing his heart to Tucker’s mysterious sister, Delilah. As Maverick squints into the sun, looking at the beauty standing in front of the lake, he wonders if his heart is crazy for begging him to take on yet another tragedy. 

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