Your stories are filled with small-town charm and close-knit communities. What draws you to these settings, and what makes them such a perfect backdrop for romance?
I love the possibilities of a place where people keep crossing paths. You might be trying very hard to avoid someone, but there they are, helping with the same town celebration. That can be funny, awkward, or unexpectedly tender. A close-knit community also lets a couple see each other in everyday situations. How someone treats a neighbor or handles a small disappointment can be much more revealing than a perfect first date.
Your books celebrate fresh starts and second chances. Why do these themes resonate so strongly with you as a writer?
There is something hopeful about the idea that a difficult chapter doesn't have to decide the rest of a person's life. I like characters who arrive with regrets, responsibilities, and a few reasons to be cautious. They don't have to erase those experiences to find happiness. They do have to risk making a different choice. That makes a second chance feel meaningful to me, especially when trust has to be earned along the way.
What inspired you to write Christmas in July at Harbor's Hope, and how did the idea first come to you?
I've seen Christmas in July commercials so often that I started thinking it would be nice to write a story with that setting. A coastal town celebrating Christmas in the middle of summer seemed like a fun place for a romance. That's where the idea for Christmas in July at Harbor's Hope began.
Clean romance has a devoted readership. What do you enjoy most about writing heartfelt love stories without relying on explicit content?
I enjoy the anticipation: the conversation that runs longer than either person intended, a small kindness that feels surprisingly personal, or the moment a character realizes this person's opinion matters far too much. There is plenty of room for attraction, humor, and emotional intensity in clean romance. I want readers to understand why these two people are drawn to each other and why choosing a life together will mean something beyond that first spark.
Community and friendship play important roles in your novels. How do you balance the romance with the relationships that surround your characters?
I want the couple to have lives that matter outside the romance. Friends can offer support, notice an uncomfortable truth, or complicate a decision with the very best intentions. Those relationships help reveal who the main characters are. But the couple still needs room to speak for themselves and make their own choices. The neighbors may have opinions. They don't get to make the declaration of love!
Do your characters ever surprise you while you're writing, or do you plan their journeys from beginning to end?
Yes, my characters do surprise me sometimes! Fortunately, the characters in Christmas in July at Harbor's Hope were pretty cooperative.
What qualities make you fall in love with your own protagonists before readers do?
Kindness with a little backbone. I like someone who will help when it's inconvenient, who can laugh at a mistake eventually, and who has something to learn. Competence is appealing, too, especially when it fails to protect a character from an embarrassing romantic moment. I don't need a protagonist to handle everything beautifully. I need a reason to care what happens to them and to believe they're capable of growing.
Harbor's Hope feels like a place readers would love to visit. How do you go about creating a fictional town that feels so welcoming and real?
I want a town to feel as though life continues there when the main characters leave the scene. The setting needs everyday work, familiar gathering places, and people with their own concerns. A beautiful view helps, of course, but belonging comes from the relationships. Who notices when someone is missing? Who offers help, and who offers rather too much advice? Those are the details that make a fictional place feel inhabited to me.
Every romance has obstacles that keep the couple apart. How do you decide which challenges will best test your characters?
The most interesting challenge is one that makes emotional sense for both people. If someone is afraid to trust, the story needs to give that fear a believable foundation and then ask them to take a real risk. I want to understand both sides, even when the characters are frustrating each other. The resolution feels satisfying when their choices show growth and when readers can see why the relationship has become possible.
What does a typical writing day look like for you, and do you have any rituals that help spark creativity?
I don't have any particular rituals. I just sit down and start writing.
Which authors or books have had the greatest influence on your writing style and storytelling?
I like Mary Higgins Clark and Debbie Macomber. I admire Clark's short chapters and Macomber's warm tone. They write different kinds of stories, but those are qualities I appreciate in both reading and writing.
Romance readers often return to authors because of the emotional comfort their books provide. What do you hope readers feel when they turn the final page of one of your novels?
I hope they're smiling and reluctant to leave the characters just yet. I'd love them to feel that the happy ending belongs to these particular people because of everything they've worked through. A little laughter, a little relief, and the sense that hope is still a reasonable thing to hold on to—that would make me very happy. And if they want another visit to Harbor's Hope, there is room for that feeling, too.
If one of your books were adapted into a movie, what would you be most excited to see brought to life on screen?
The Christmas-in-July celebration would be such fun to see, especially with the coastal setting around it. But I'd be just as interested in the small moments between the characters: the glance someone hopes went unnoticed, or the smile that arrives before they can stop it. An actor can say so much without a word. I'd love an adaptation that gave the humor and those quieter moments of connection room to breathe.
What advice would you give aspiring romance writers who want to create believable relationships and memorable small-town settings?
Give each person something to care about beyond finding a partner. Let the attraction grow through what they notice, how they listen, and what they do when it costs them something. For the town, think about the lives behind the pretty storefronts. People have work to finish, disagreements, loyalties, and reasons for staying. A community becomes memorable when its people feel as real as the couple readers are cheering for.
Finally, what has your experience been like as a member of AllAuthor, and how has the platform supported you in connecting with readers and promoting your books?
My AllAuthor account is still new, so I don't have much experience with the platform yet. So far, though, it's been helpful in connecting me with new readers. I'm looking forward to getting to know it better.
