Where were you born and raised? Which is your favorite spot in the city?
I was born and raised in the Deep South. There’s nothing I love more than woods, creeks and rivers, and wildlife.
What do you consider your most important achievement as a writer?
Finding a genre I love. I studied literature in college and I’ve always loved books, but when I decided to write romance, I found my home. Conflict, emotion, and a happy ending!
When did you begin writing? What inspired you to pen down your first piece of creative writing?
I began writing as a teenager. I’d go to the library every week with my mom and twin sister, walk out with an armful of books, and read them all before returning. Books were my world, and I dabbled in storytelling of my own for a few years. Then school took over, marriage, family, and I didn’t return to writing until my thirties.
What are the details you pay attention to when creating your female characters?
I pay most attention, with any character, to emotional journeys. In my mind, the most powerful stories are the ones where a character grows, and adults grow in their emotions, whether for the good or bad. Women who become stronger, more compassionate, more loving, more self-confident and self-aware—those are the stories I want to tell.
When writing a series, how do you make sure your readers stay glued to the books and want more at the end of each book?
Part of engaging the reader is a great series premise. Hot alpha males uncovering secrets in hot southern nights and protecting the women they can’t walk away from? I’m there! I love having characters from previous books involved in whatever installment I’m creating, and I love getting to know the hero of the next book so readers can anticipate his story coming as well.
What inspired you to write the romantic suspense ‘Teach Me’? Was it decided that it is going to be a series?
I’d already decided on a series, yes. I wanted suspense because I love puzzles and fixing problems; suspense adds so much conflict, not just between the hero and heroine and villain, but between the couple and even secondary characters. And I especially wanted to write something that features the area of the US where I grew up and the feeling you get when you’re in the South—it’s a whole other world.
Which was the most difficult book to write in the Southern Nights series? Why?
Definitely Take Me! Having three points of view instead of two was difficult, but even more so, dealing with the loss of a child was devastatingly emotional. That book touched my heart more deeply than any other I’ve ever written, I think.
“Only For the Weekend’ is book 1 of the If Only series. Does the story of Jane and Vincent continue in the second book or different characters are introduced to us in it?
The second book follows the story of Hank, who is Vincent’s bandmate. I think what I love about this series, however, is that previous characters always play a roll. Vincent in particular is on the page a lot in book two, helping to guide his friend and explain to him about the BDSM lifestyle. I love the depth of their friendship and the way they’re real with each other no matter what.
Are you writing anymore books in the Southern Nights Enigma series?
Yes, definitely! Book three, Capture Me, will release the final week of November, 2018. This book is focused on Fionn McCullough, Deacon’s best friend in Deceive Me (book two), and Lyse Sheppard, the woman who betrayed them all at the end of Deceive Me.
Which one of your male characters would you wish comes alive and why?
All of them! :)
How do you build and grow from the reviews that you receive for your writing?
I think every piece of feedback I get as an author is valuable, whether I agree with it or not. If I do, it helps me explore how I can get better. If I don’t, it helps me clarify my thinking on why I created something the way I did and reflect on whether I achieved what I set out to.
What is your ideal way to overcome a writer’s block?
Spend time thinking. If I’m blocked, it’s usually because I don’t know where the story is going, or I’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere. If I simply take some time to think, my brain will eventually figure it out and provide the path forward.
Which is the next book you are working on? What should the readers expect from it?
Capture Me, book three in the Southern Nights: Enigma series, is being written right now—with an absolutely yummy Irish hero. I currently wake up with his lyrical voice in my head. (Yes, I’m a lucky girl!) And after that, I’ll be working on book three in my Assassins series (which is exclusive to Radish Fiction).
How has your experience with AllAuthor been?
Excellent! There are more resources than I can make use of, honestly. :) The help with promotion, images, etcetera…I can’t thank y’all enough!
