Having lived in different states across the US, which is your favorite place to visit with your husband and three children?
Throughout the last ten years we have lived in Tennessee, Missouri, Hawaii and Oklahoma. We have visited so many more throughout the years as well. My favorite place so far has been Hawaii. The culture there is significantly different than anything we have seen stateside. It was beautiful.
What are some of your favorite memories while growing up in a small town in the heart of Tennessee? Did you always want to be a writer?
I didn’t want to be an author. Honestly, it was something that never crossed my mind. My favorite memory of Tennessee is visiting Gatlinburg in the snow with my family.
What random scenes started plaguing you every waking moment of the day? How did they motivate you to start your journey into the world of writing?
There is an instant in my life where I was standing at a checkout line reading a magazine and I could feel someone staring at me. This memory had been pulling at me for weeks. I finally sat down at my computer one night and just started writing about it. This scene morphed into the club scene with Kiera and Ethan. In one night, I had written almost 3,000 words. This intrigued me and I wanted to see where it went. In three months, I had completed the novel.
How did you manage to write a wonderful debut novel, "Damaged" from the tangled mess?
Did you expect it to become an "Award Winning Debut Novel?" Never in my life had I expected to even write one novel. I poured myself into my writing. I pulled from experiences and weaved them into Damaged.
Your book "Damaged" portrays the characters Ethan and Kiera? How did you come up with the names of your characters?
They are just two of my favorite names and they meshed so well together.
How was your experience of writing a romantic suspense novel, "Damaged"?
Writing Romantic suspense was not my original thought. However, I love to read a book that grabs me from the beginning. I tried to put that in my writing.
How many more books are you planning to add to "The Damaged Series?" Why did you choose to write in Romantic Suspense?
I am currently writing Anna’s story. I have entertained writing two novellas to go along with the series. Ethan and Stephen’s backstory.
What inspired the first book in "The Damaged Series?" Did you know then that you wanted to make it into a series?
I didn’t have any inspiration except the random memory that grew. Once I started writing I pulled from real life experiences and put that emotion into the story.
"Damaged" is an intense story that runs the emotional roller coaster. What are some real-life experiences that were added to your book?
I deal with anxiety and PTSD on a daily basis in one form or another. I used this experience to make Kiera’s past more vivid.
Writing and finishing a book can take an immense amount of discipline. How do you keep yourself motivated and keep the dreaded writer's block from attacking?
I would sit at my computer daily once the kids were off to school and just write with my music blasting. This has been harder to do lately when I began my journey into my ‘day job’ but I try to find time to dedicate to writing.
When you're not reading or writing a book, what are some other things that you love to do?
I have many hobbies. Several of which have become so much more. I currently run and operate KP Designs and Kingston Publishing Company helping authors like myself enter the vast writers world with ease.
What it feels like to win an award for your debut novel? What, according to you, makes a good romance novel?
It was an amazing feeling that someone loved my novel that much. A good romance novel needs to grab at your heart strings and pull them in every direction.
What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself as an author in 10 years’ time?
Hopefully, I am still writing and enjoying life.
If you could have been the author of any book throughout history, which one would you pick and why?
Great Expectations. It’s the one novel I remember reading as a child.
