Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a veterinarian/consultant by day and writer by night. I’ve been happily married to a wonderfully supportive husband for 10 years. We’re foster parents and also have a small zoo with two dogs, cockatiels, temporary foster cats, and a few goldfish. I currently live in NC and have been there for over 20 years, but I grew up in tiny town in Michigan. I relocated to NC for college, fell in love with the area, and never had a reason to leave!
I’ve written four full-length books, three original and one fanfiction, but Breaking Free is the first that I’ve felt compelled to publish.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel, Breaking Free, is about a 16-year old girl who harbors an immense amount of guilt and grief over her best friend’s death. In order to cope with these devastating emotions, she begins cutting.
I have a friend and a family member who have both cut in the past. When I first learned about self-injury, I didn’t understand why people would purposely hurt themselves and, therefore, I thought it was to attract attention. I ended up spending quite a bit of time researching the topic, which opened my eyes. Most people who cut don’t do it for attention. In fact, like Kelsie in the book, they try to hide what they’re doing. They’re ashamed, but it’s beyond their control as it has become an addictive coping mechanism to try and deal with their overwhelming emotions, whether it’s depression, anxiety, whatever.
After learning so much about self-injury, I wanted to help others who were in my position—wishing to help their friends, but not understanding how to or even why their friends did what they did. That’s when I decided to turn it into a story. Because I typically write adventure-filled books, I knew immediately that the main characters would be in the wilderness and run into some unexpected hurdles along the way. I think it ended up being a nice mix of emotion, suspense, and romance with a couple plot twists to keep things interesting.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I know a lot of writers love to listen to music while they write. I’m the opposite–I do best with total silence. That’s always been the case for me when I need to concentrate on something, though. Back in college, I had to go to the library every night because my roommate and I had vastly different study routines. She needed music, television, and a few people to talk to while I needed my own cubicle in the sub-basement of the library where virtually no one else ventured!
The one situation where silence isn’t best is when I’m struggling to evoke a certain mood in a scene. In those cases, I’ll listen to music that evokes that mood in me while I’m writing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Some of my favorite authors are Suzanne Collins, Nicholas Sparks, Janet Evanovich, Dean Koontz, Robin Cook, Stephenie Meyer, and Patricia Cornwell. I try to incorporate little bits of what I love about each of them in my writing–for example, tragedy from Sparks, romance from Meyer, and humor from Evanovich.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently outlining my next young adult contemporary realism/romance book. This one will draw a bit from my personal experience as a foster parent and will again follow some teens that have been dealt a rough hand.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Befriending other authors and bloggers has been the best method for me. Since writing is just a hobby for me, it’s been challenging to dedicate the amount of time required for marketing. Luckily, I have a whole team of supporters to help me. I’m not sure where I would be without them. Thanks y’all!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing. And keep everything you write, even if it’s just a page or two. Eventually, you’ll write something that when you look back at it, you’ll be impressed by yourself. Pair that with a really good writing buddy and that will be all the motivation you’ll need to finish a full-length book.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best piece of advice I’ve heard was from an interview with Stephen King. Someone asked him if he kept a notebook beside his bed to jot down ideas that came to him at night. He said that he didn’t because a good idea would be remembered. If he didn’t remember it, it wasn’t worth anything.
Since hearing his words, I’ve taken that approach. I often lie in bed at night working through scenes in my head and then see what sticks by the morning. I’ll occasionally have specific dialogue or complete sentences that I remember. More often than not, those end up being my favorite parts of the story.
What are you reading now?
Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich. I tend to alternate between emotional reads and lighthearted chick-lit.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Since I have a full-time job, I’m only able to write about one book a year. I’ll continue working on my current book and hopefully publish it sometime next summer.
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?
I feel like I should say a classic like To Kill a Mockingbird or Pride and Prejudice, but if I’m honest with myself, I’d take the Twilight Saga. Those books lift my spirits and never bore me even after multiple reads–two things that would be important on the desert island. Actually, I should probably also take the Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook for practical purposes. That means I’d leave behind New Moon, my least favorite of the Twilight Saga.
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