Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in the Adirondack Mountains region of New York State and later moved to Long Island to start a family of my own. I’ve been an educator for many years, am happily married to my real-life hero and enjoy being a mom to two active kids. For the past six years, I’ve been writing romance seriously. During that time I’ve completed eight manuscripts—four of which have been published. My debut released December 2014, a contemporary romance novella called Christmas Light, that was part of a four-novella anthology. My second book published was a stand-alone sequel to my holiday romance, a short contemporary romance novel called His Kiss (since retitled as The Rebel’s Redemption). Text Me, Maybe was my first romantic comedy, which released on August 8th. I’m especially excited that One More Sunset, the first book in my Mystic Escapes series has found its new home with Foundations LLC after its original publisher closed shop in June 2016.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
One More Sunset, a light romantic suspense with a dash of magic, releases on October 3rd. Years back, I’d shared with my husband my dream of crafting a series with magic and travel similar to Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House Series, but with romance for adults. A few days later, we were traveling upstate for Labor Day weekend when he asked, “Hey, how about a magic suitcase?” That must’ve been all the spark I needed because five hours later, we arrived at our destination and my journal was filled with notes. Later, those notes became the outline for this series.
I chose Key West as the setting for this first book because it’s a mysterious, romantic paradise I’ve considered my home-away-from-home for over a decade. I’ve travelled the Overseas Highway dozens of times, explored Old Town by bike and foot countless hours, learned the lore of Hemingway, and skimmed the island’s tropical waters by boat and Jet Ski. To me, Key West’s the perfect romantic setting for Abby and Dylan to heal and take a chance on love.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read A LOT, and I read a great variety. I’m an elementary school educator and am familiar with many middle-grade books and picture books as a result. In addition to Mary Pope Osbourne mentioned earlier, I especially enjoy the works of CS Lewis, Roald Dahl, EB White, and JK Rowling.
At home, however, I read mainly romance, including historical, contemporary, romantic comedies, and erotic, as well as select mainstream women’s fiction, adventure thrillers, poetry, and classics. Authors whose storytelling has influenced me include Nora Roberts, Sophie Kinsella, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Julia Tom Clancy, David Baldacci, and John Grisham.
What are you working on now?
I tend to be a multi-tasker when it comes to writing. Currently, I’m drafting a small town contemporary romance, a flirty urban-set romance, and am in the edits process for the next book in the Mystic Escapes series called One More Touch. I’m also percolating ideas for One More Chance, the third story in the series which will be set between Long Island and Bermuda.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I believe writing the best book possible so that it resonates with its readers is the best possible way for me—or any author—to promote a book because word of mouth recommendations are golden.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write and read a lot, and remember to focus on your own creative journey. Everyone’s is different.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To enjoy the journey and treasure the little things.
What are you reading now?
I just finished reading The Way We Wish Things Were by Marybeth Whalen. She hooked me on her small town story from the opening scene and never let me go until the final page. The various POVs gave me all the feels, and her characters will stay with me for quite a while.
What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned earlier, One More Sunset is Book 1 in Mystic Escapes, my romantic suspense/magical realism series set in exotic locales. Lysis and Elpida, the two powerful ancients from the first adventure, are at it again in Book 2, assisting another kori (the Greek term for a young woman) via the mysterious magic suitcase.
I’m in the process of editing this book, titled One More Touch. This time, our story is set mostly at a hedonist resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, where my wallflower heroine is thrown together with her hunky next-door neighbor she has secretly desired all summer. Soon, she realizes the man she’s in danger of falling for is facing a different kind of peril…and that it’s up to her to solve the obscure clues in her magic suitcase to save him.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Since I love far too many books to just choose three or four to last me a lifetime on a lonely desert island, I think it would be wisest to choose survival manuals that would give me the skills needed to escape the island and return to civilization (and bookstores and libraries) again.
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