Your journey into writing has been quite diverse, from education to poetry and Christian urban fantasy novels. What inspired you to delve into such varied genres and forms of writing?
I love the freedom of expanding my creative ideas and pouring them into diverse avenues. I am a Christian, and I love to teach, and combining Christian themes with urban fantasy and poetry opens opportunities for others to become curious about Jesus.
Your novels blend Christian themes with urban fantasy. How do you strike a balance between the supernatural elements and the spiritual aspects of your stories?
I don’t change biblical teachings, so when I use them in my stories, I use scripture to back up what I am writing. The characters themselves are spiritual Christians and this fantasy world has come upon them. So, their reactions are going to come from a Christian spiritual world view.
You've been featured in Canvas Rebel Magazine and Bold Journey Magazine, and you've been a guest on The Neil Haley Show. How have these experiences influenced your writing and your approach to reaching your audience?
These experiences have made me more confident as a writer. I want to write more and venture into other areas of writing. I’ve toyed with the possibility of screen writing. After being a guest on the Neil Haley Show, I realized that I could dig deeper into getting myself into the public eye. I feel driven to post on all social media often and talk to people. My goal is to continue putting my work outside of my home state of Oregon and the United States. Stopping is not an option.
How has your background in education and English literature influenced your writing style and the themes you explore in your work?
My background in education and English literature has taught me there is more than one way to look at things and to dig deeper. When I choose a theme for one of my books, I look for ways to present it so other hidden themes present themselves as well. I look back at the literature I studied in my undergrad years and see the depth of all the literary elements and how they come together to create a story that touches each reader. I wanted to write like that.
Your short story collection and poetry showcase a different aspect of your creativity compared to your novels. How do you decide which stories or ideas to develop into short stories versus full-length novels?
Typically, the idea of expanding a short story into a full-length novel hits me as I am reading through it. My mind will start moving in different directions to the point where various avenues open up and a longer story begins to develop. This doesn’t happen with every short story I write. When I was writing my second novel, The Cross’s Key, I became stuck on a chapter and wasn’t sure in which direction to take it, so I perused my short stories to find one I could modify and factor into the novel’s story. The short story I chose was The Box.
In your blog, you often discuss the role of magic in storytelling. Could you elaborate on what "magic" means to you as a writer, and how it manifests in your writing process?
To me magic in storytelling encompasses every story element that goes into creating a story and how all of it comes together to produce a whole, resulting in focused entertainment for everyone to enjoy.
Essentially, what I do is keep a journal where I log details regarding the various story elements. But I don’t plan ahead of time what I am going to write for a scene/chapter. I write and plan as I go. I am a pantser. That has always worked for me and how my ideas flow.
You're also an avid traveler. How have your travels influenced your writing, especially in terms of the settings and cultures depicted in your stories?
Wherever I go, I carry a journal with me where I take down copious notes. But these are not just any kind of notes. I set out to take a picture with words, so there is much description and use of imagery. I am also a people observer. I have been all my life, so in my journal I make notations about people, their mannerisms, physical characteristics, things they say. Sometimes it isn’t easy to obtain all of these attributes in people. One has to work with what comes at them. When I am writing, I refer back to this journal as needed.
Many authors find inspiration in everyday life. What are some of the everyday experiences or moments that have inspired your book, “Hanging by His Hand”?
Nature and the ocean are two of the biggest influences for most of the poems in this collection. So much can be said about those two forces in connection with life itself, especially when it comes to displaying emotions in comparison to people. Another influencer is art. I like to look at paintings or sculptures and equate them with poetry. One painting depicted a mountainous scene with people below in a valley. After observing that painting for a while, a story began to form, so I turned it into a poem. People in general, and, here again, my observations of them come into play as well as snippets of conversation and how people get along with each other.
Your love for beaded jewelry making is an interesting hobby. Do you find any parallels between crafting jewelry and crafting stories?
Paying attention to the details in both jewelry making and crafting stories is a huge parallel. You want to catch the viewer’s/reader’s eye or attention. If an important detail is missing, people will know. Taking your time with each is another parallel. There is a kind of beauty in each that begs so come to the surface.
As a writer who believes that "a story is out there somewhere," how do you discover new story ideas, and what is your process for developing these ideas into full-fledged narratives?
I used a variety of methods to come up with stories. I create ‘what if’ scenarios and make notes of them in my journal. Past experiences are a great resource I make use of often. One time I was looking out my kitchen window and admiring our dogwood tree. It was beautiful the way the sun played off the golden leaves. A story came to mind, and I immediately sat down to write one.
The process I use is visualization. I see the characters and setting in my mind, and I write what plays out as I ‘see’ it. Of course, my mind is thinking up these stories, but I see them in my mind’s eye as though I am watching a movie.
Could you share some insights into your writing routine? How do you balance your writing career with your other interests and responsibilities?
I write between the hours of 10:00 am and midafternoon most days. Not all of that time is spent writing per se. When I am stuck on a chapter, I will go for a walk, which allows for the creative juices to flow easier. When I return, I am ready to get back to it. Other times I pull my journal out for the book I am working on and jot down ideas I will need for later. Because I also make beaded jewelry and prepare my pieces for craft shows, I have blocked out time for that as well outside of my writing hours. However, I don’t have craft shows scheduled all the time. Plus, I have a decent amount of inventory built up for future shows, so my jewelry making doesn’t have to happen every day. It’s like give and take. When one rope tightens, and there’s some give in the other, so to speak, I can spend more time on the one that needs the most attention paid to it.
Your novel, “The Veil of Time” has a strong thematic core. What messages or ideas do you hope readers take away from your book?
Some themes I would like my readers to take away from this book are:
i. Never take for granted your God give talents and abilities. We are all vulnerable to the powers of darkness and can slip.
ii. Nothing in life comes easy. There will be temptations throughout our lives. The Lord Jesus is our strength, and we must seek His face.
What has been the most rewarding part of being an author for you so far?
I love meeting my readers and fans, talking to them, and feeling satisfied with having made someone happy with one of my stories. As an avid reader myself, I can identify with how they’re feeling. On the other end of that rests the thrill of meeting prospective readers. When people come to my table at a book signing, their faces light up after reading my books’ descriptions. They are eager to read them and have all kinds of questions.
Looking ahead, what can readers expect from you in the near future? Any new projects or upcoming releases you can share with us?
I am currently working on the third book in the Time Series, and right alongside me is my new co-author, K. McMahill. We are not anticipating this project to be finished in the near future, as we are not at a point where that can be determined. There are no immediate releases coming up, but we will be starting another anthology of short stories in the coming months.
What do you think of AllAuthor, and would you recommend it to your other author friends?
I love AllAuthor. They’ve opened up a wealth of opportunities for exposure I otherwise would not have had. The tools they offer for assisting authors in creating marketing are effective and easy to use.
Yes, I would highly recommend AllAuthor to my author friends. As a matter of fact, I already have, and I will continue to do so.
