Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Libra (if you buy into that sort of thing), and I live in Kentucky (which, contrary to popular belief, does not automatically deduct IQ points).
I’ve written my entire life in one form or another. In high school I wrote horrible overwrought poetry. In college I worked toward a journalism degree so I did a lot of reporting. Then I sort of fell into technical writing, which is boring. But without us technical writers, you wouldn’t have to throw away the instruction manuals that come with your software. Then I fell into writing romance and I absolutely love it. Which is incredibly ironic when you consider I am the least romantic person any of my friends know. I keep saying that romance is out of character for me, but no so for the characters I create.
To date, I have released VIRTUE OF DEATH, which is the first novel in the Earthbound Angels series. The second, PROMISES OF VIRTUE, comes out February 4, 2017. There will be one more after PROMISES. So, a trilogy. I’m like Hollywood!
I also have released a m/m novella entitled WRECK YOU that tackles lust, addiction, depression, and love all in one that I’m proud of.
I have a few more novellas that will be released later this year, one entitled MI AMOR which is a story of second chances, and one called ANTICIPATING TEMPTATION which is a quirky contemporary romance.
I’ve got two novels currently in the works, and a whole lot more stacked atop each other on the to-be-written pile.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
PROMISES OF VIRTUE is my latest one, and it’s the second book in the Earthbound Angels series.
When I struggled to get VIRTUE OF DEATH written, I stalled out. Completely. Utterly. No gas, the train was not leaving the station. It was depressing, to say the least. It was at that time I started toying with the idea of writing a novella about Sera (the main character of VIRTUE) and a novella about Cheryl, her best friend, and smushing them together to get it to be a publishable length.
Eventually the words finally came for VIRTUE OF DEATH, but I couldn’t shake the fact that Cheryl needed (nay, deserved) her own story. As did a lot of people who reviewed VIRTUE OF DEATH. I’m nothing if not accommodating.
A large portion of PROMISES OF VIRTUE takes place in France, and that was done on purpose. In fact, I had to rewrite the ending of VIRTUE OF DEATH to set it up the way I wanted it. I knew Cheryl had to go to France, and had to see the fine art she’d coveted her entire life. She deserved that much from me.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have never written a piece in order. Not a single piece of fiction I’ve written, not even short stories, have been written in order. I’m not a plotter, I’m a fan of letting the characters tell me their story as opposed to forcing it into some pre-conceived outline (mainly because every time I tried my characters looked at it, laughed, and said “no, no, really, this is what we want to do instead,” so I quit trying). As such, sometimes they get excited and want to jump ahead. Who am I to stop them? It’s worked for me so far.
I also don’t work at a desk. I sit in a plush spinny chair in the corner of the living room with the dogs curled up beside me under a blanket. Why not? Life’s too short to spend it uncomfortable.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nora Roberts. I met her my senior year of college. I even skipped doing an assignment for class so I could go meet her at the local bookstore and I was in awe. I fumbled over my words, struggling to remember how to spell my name. In my effort to be the biggest walking cliche she’d ever seen, I told her how awesome her books were and that I knew there was a novel in me. She smiled, probably rolled her eyes (because how often has she heard that? I mean, seriously), and told me to “just keep writing.”
Since that moment, I have had a lot of things happen in my life. Sadly, during some of those things, I’d stop writing. I didn’t have the time anymore. I convinced myself it wasn’t going to amount to anything. My computer looked at me wrong. Anything that kept my finger from pounding keys. But every time I did, I felt incomplete. So, she was right. I had to keep writing, and finally not give up on it.
What are you working on now?
Right now I have two novels that are in-progress. I have the third (and final) in the Earthbound Angels series that I wrote during NaNoWriMo last year and I still need to get polished up and submitted to my publisher.
I also have a romantic comedy that I wrote over the holidays that I need to get polished up as well.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ll be honest, I haven’t figured that out just yet. I’m truly still at the stage where I’m throwing spaghetti against the wall and praying something sticks.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
To run the risk of sounding cliche, I’ll repeat the words Nora Roberts said to me: Just keep writing. You never know when that opportunity is going to present itself, so just keep trying until the stars align for you.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always have a stash of chocolate and a bottle of wine in the house, you never know when you might need them.
What are you reading now?
I’m actually very lucky in that I get my hands on a lot of advance reader copies. I’ve currently got the anthology COVALENT BONDS, a collection of nine geeky romances, which will be released on Valentine’s Day; and a copy of SOLOMON’S BELL, which is a YA fantasy by Michelle Lowery Combs that is scheduled to release in March.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I never know where I’ll wind up next. I do think I’m going to take a break from the paranormal romance and maybe focus on contemporary romance for a bit. Maybe write another m/m because that was so much fun.
Oh, and I’ve been invited to take part in a themed charity anthology, which will allow me to test my hand at romance with a horror bent. Who knows where that one will end up!
What is your favorite book of all time?
As cliche and shallow as it makes me sound, I absolutely adore TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. I first read it in the fourth grade (and didn’t get it) but when I read it four years later it all fell together for me. It’s always had a level of innocence, quotability, and comfort to me.
I think my favorite romance of all time (seeing as how I’m a romance author) is SACRED SINS by Nora Roberts. It also had a suspense element to it that kept me hooked. (I was still in high school when I read it, but it’s stayed with me since.)
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