What is the name of your hometown and where did you grow up?
I was born in Bridgeton, New Jersey, but we moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida when I was 6,. I called it home well into adulthood.
How did you first discover your passion for writing romance novels?
When I was a pre-teen, my mom watched a lot of movies where a couple always feel in love in the end. I found myself watching them more and more, and when I was twelve, I started writing poems. After my first crush before my 13th birthday, I started putting my thoughts in a tablet I hide in my drawer. A few years later, I used many of them to write my first book.
Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started as a romance writer?
Growing up in Florida, I went to Walt Disney World, in Orlando, a few times a year. I fell in love with Disney movies, especially the Prince and Princess movies full of love and affection. I love anything that gives all the feel-good feelings, with a happily ever after. It gave me the hope of that special kind of love one day. After falling for my first boyfriend, I started journaling and that evolved into my second book. Finding it a great outlet for my urge to create something new as a teenager, I kept putting my ideas on paper. No matter what was going on in my life, writing made me happy.
What was your first piece of writing about?
It was a poem about my 2nd oldest sister who went in the Air Force after graduation. I missed her terribly, but was so proud of her, so I wrote a heartfelt, funny poem.
Rom-Coms require a skillful blend of humor and romance. How do you strike the right balance between these elements to keep your readers engaged and entertained?
Hmm, I’ve never really thought about how I do it. Most of my family though, including my kids and grandkids, have a witty sense of humor, so It seems to be helpful being surrounded by snarky, fun banter, which just comes out through my fingers when writing my characters. I believe humor is definitely the best medicine in life.
Your description of your books as "goosebump, teary-eyed, emotionally stimulating, feel-good" with happy endings certainly sounds captivating. How do you manage to evoke such powerful emotions in your readers?
I do this by pouring all of my heart and soul into each imperfect character. First, I try using characters, and subject matter that stimulates the brain, making the reader want to read more. As for the emotions, being an empathetic person myself, I need to feel each of these descriptors when reading my own book, over and over again. If I can’t feel it, my readers won’t either.
The romance genre often involves creating intense emotional connections between characters. How do you elicit such strong emotions from your readers through your novel, "An Officer and The Vet: A Bliss Cay Novella”?
Oh goodness, this one had me frequently wiping my eyes, especially with Blue, the Police K-9 suffering from his own PTSD, along with Sam. I’d have to stop and walk the room to get my composure back at times. I don’t want to give too much away, but with Sam’s rock bottom lifestyle when he was younger, and helping him and Isla navigate their heartbreak from being each other’s first love, until present, was a constant challenge to keep it real. Hours of research and digging deep into myself to imagine what I’d be like in their situation, have made this a fan favorite book with the fastest, and sweetest reviews.
How do you approach creating relatable and dynamic characters that resonate with your readers?
Reviews and my newsletter is a wonderful way to see what readers like. Also, keeping up with current top selling romance books is super helpful. You can never get complacent as a writer.
What is your writing process like? Do you have a routine or specific rituals that help you get into the right mindset for creating romantic and emotionally impactful stories?
First, I pick out the tropes I want to use, then I write down ideas as they come to me. This can be names, physical attributes, quirks, etc. I also have a 3 Act Structure Template I use to organize my thoughts. And if at anytime the characters start popping in my head telling me their story during the planning process, I start typing before the thoughts leave me. I’m also a Hallmark movie fanatic, so I get lots of ideas for my books by watching as many love stories as I can, as well as reading books.
Many readers are drawn to different sub-genres within romance. How do you decide which sub-genre to write about in each book?
I start getting a visual in my head what the characters may look like, depending on the storyline and tropes I decide to use. That’s when I pick each character’s physical attributes, though it may change a few times once the story progresses if it doesn’t fit them.
Romance novels often have recurring themes, but each author has their unique touch. How would you say your writing stands out in the romance genre?
I write what I love, which is faith and family based clean romance with a touch of suspense, at least one pet, and a happily ever after, very much like a Hallmark style movie or book.
Your mention of "Clean/Wholesome Romance with a touch of suspense & Rom-Coms" caught our attention. How do you strike a balance between the wholesome aspects and the suspenseful elements in your novels?
It can definitely be tricky, but these scenes are so worth it, which is why I take my time figuring out the most impactful way to nail the element of surprise when you least expect it.
As a successful romance author, what advice would you give to aspiring writers who wish to excel in the romance genre?
Write what you want to write, and what makes ‘you’ happy. If you try writing what’s popular, or what you think you’ll make the most money writing, you’ll more than likely be wasting your time. Some of my closest author friends, as well as myself, started out this way. Several books in, we realized it wasn’t what truly made us happy, proud, and fulfilled, which made them harder to write and it showed in the content. We’ve all gone on to write what we always wanted to and are much happier. Believe me, it shows in your work how passionate you are with the final product.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the 4th installment of A Twinkle Falls Novel titled Babies in Twinkle Falls. It’s a holiday themed series that’ll give you all the old fashioned Christmastime feels with family and friends. It releases in December.
How did you first come across the AllAuthor website? What do you like or dislike about the site?
Several authors I know use it, and told me it was a good resource for promoting your work, as well as gaining followers. I’m happy to say it’s worked to my benefit. You also can’t beat the exposure and pricing for the All Author promotions. (No real dislikes of All Author that I can think of.)
