1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I've been an avid reader all my life. My father, who was not a reader, could not understand the necessity of books on vacation. While everyone else was making sure they packed the right clothes, I was making sure I had enough books to last eleven days. We didn't do large vacations often, and I believe he was slightly insulted when I spent large portions of the trip with my nose between the pages of The Godfather.
2. Describe your book Girl Found (The Legacy of Mara Book 1) in 30 words or less.
The Legacy of Mara trilogy begins with Ellen in Girl Found. She's got a plan for where she's going in life, but events spiral out of control. Outside entities force her hand, sending her in an unexpected direction.
3. What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The challenge with Girl Found was in finding the right story. The world build is complex. There's a tremendous amount of backstory behind the finished product and in writing this story, I bounced back and forth between first person, focusing only on Ellen and what she knew (which isn't much to begin with), and moving to third person unrestricted and letting everyone in on what was happening in the background around Ellen. In the end, I chose the first person approach. I felt that as the catalyst for the story, Ellen had to remain front and center.
4. What books have had the greatest influence on you?
Influences: That's a hard one. I can't choose one book or author that stands out among the others. I've always been captivated by a story's ability to transport and that's ultimately my goal when I write. I want the reader to have that out-of-life experience.
5. Briefly share with us what you do to market your book?
Girl Found is my first book. Marketing has been restricted to interior quality, cover, building a social media platform, and honing my craft. Once I have five books more out and the Legacy trilogy complete, I'll get more aggressive with marketing. Right now, I'm listening to the experiences of other authors and taking notes.
6. How do you spend your time when you are not writing?
What do I do when I'm not writing? I read and watch too much Netflix. I crochet when I watch television. Because I like to eat, I cook and bake. I used to take art classes and I'm trying to get back into that more. I find the process of physical artistic rendering relaxing and rejuvenating. I'm supposed to be exercising more, and so far that's just a thought in my head. And then there's all that necessary stuff like work, the house, yard, and dogs. I could use a thirty six hour day.
7. What are you working on next?
My current work in progress is a space opera, Crane's War. I'm not quite to final edits on that, so I'm looking at a June release date most likely. A contemporary drama, Deciding Lies, will be out some time after Crane. Syndicate City, an inside New Chicago story that runs parallel to Girl Found, will follow that, and then comes Rule of Blood, book two of the Legacy trilogy. Rule of Blood is currently a partial outline.
