Were you an avid reader as a child? Do you still read books?
Yes. I was completely absorbed by books as a child; my brother once tried all sorts of things to gain my attention, eventually shouting 'fire!' at which point I said, 'did you say something?'. For years I only had time to read for work, but now, I read a lot - up to 10 (short) books a week (or two or three long ones)
How did your experiences in education influence your writing career, particularly in the romance genre?
Not at all, lol. I think it is my nature to write romance. I read almost all genres, but romance was my go-to when I needed comfort. I also think there is a romantic element in everything.
Can you tell us about your journey as an author and what inspired you to start writing romance novels?
I have written all of my life, but aside from poems, never completed my stories. For many years, I worried about the lack of originality in my work, seeing my influences all of the time. When I had been retired a few years, I was inspired to write a story. It was hand-written and was 70+ thousand words. It's not great (although there are parts which I will mine one day for other stories), but when I had finished, the first two stories I read afterwards had aspects to it (similar interests for the heroine; a similar conflict for the hero) and I finally realised that there is little which can be truly described as unique. So I shed my misgivings and began to write in earnest.
Living in NW England, do you find that your surroundings influence the settings and atmosphere in your novels? How important is the sense of place in your writing?
Haha, no! I have set most of my stories in the USA! One, A Freak, is set in the 1970s in the NW, but most are elsewhere.
Can you tell us more about the dynamics and character development you explored in your romance novel, "Black Out"?
This began as a shorter story; I wanted to think about how Covid had/would affect lives, and I wanted a simple love story. The idea of the 'mean girls' grew from that, although I softened one of the mean girls as the story developed. It was important to have a heroine who was intelligent and educated, and that this was the attraction for the hero.
Can you share some of your favorite moments or scenes from your book, "A Freak" where these elements shine through?
In A Freak, we have a heroine who is sweet and naïve, and who people have taken advantage of. At one point the hero says to her: "You let people walk all over you because you are a decent person." and he then determines to take care of her. Earlier, he'd admired her interest in wordplay, and when she sees his library she can understand why. She wants to become a teacher, and he asks her why she thinks she could be one. She teaches him to sew and then anxiously waits for his assessment: "It was important to me that he approved." It's about his love giving her confidence.
Your heroines are described as intelligent and brave but shy, while your heroes are alpha males who discover the meaning of love. What draws you to these character dynamics, and how do you develop them in your stories?
Honestly? I am intelligent, and shy, and I hope, brave. My husband is a strong man who claims I am his only one true love. Clearly this is a huge influence. But, it is most women's dream to meet the strong man for whom she is 'the one'; and the shy, intelligent female often feels she will never meet 'him'.
Many authors draw from personal experiences when creating their characters or storylines. Are there any real-life experiences or people who have inspired elements of your books?
Yes. Not to go into too much detail, but there is a lot in A Freak, for example, which is drawn from personal experiences.
In your novels, the course of true love is known to be anything but smooth. What do you believe makes for a compelling and satisfying romance plotline, and how do you keep readers engaged and rooting for your characters' love to succeed?
The protagonists have to be engaging, obviously, but there also needs to be conflict. Most relationships face some conflict through the years, but for a promised HEA, this needs to occur early in the relationship to convince the reader that they have staying power.
Can you share a bit about your writing process? Do you have any specific rituals or habits that help you get into the writing groove?
I plan, plot, and mentally edit while 'trying' to sleep. I have never gone straight to sleep - even as a child. And so, I lie there and focus on part of a story and visualise my way through it, creating scenes or refining them. It's especially useful for conversations.
Romance is a genre with a wide range of sub-genres and themes. Are there any particular sub-genres or themes within romance that you enjoy writing about the most?
Not really. At first, I found sex scenes really tricky, and didn't think I could write anything outside of a straightforward romance, but Merewina and A Freak both have aspects of BDSM. Age Perfect and its sequels are age-gap where the woman is older, although normally I prefer older man/younger woman; and my latest (as yet unreleased) stories are contemporary cowboy tales.
Love stories often involve challenges and obstacles. What do you believe is the key to creating authentic and relatable conflicts in your romance novels?
The conflict has to be believable to the reader; by which I mean that, if the heroine, for example, is bold and confident, is she likely to fall for a woman claiming to be seeing the hero? Would she not just challenge him? In my next book, the heroine had been engaged and found out he was cheating on her; this makes her ripe to be exploited when she's told her new beau is cheating on her.
Crafting, baking, reading, and writing are some of your interests. Do any of these hobbies find their way into your stories, providing unique elements or themes in your novels?
Genevieve in Age Perfect is an Indie author, and Elizabeth in A Freak teaches Jamieson to sew because she embroiders; but other than that, no. I draw on my experiences, but not in great detail.
Before we conclude, could you share any upcoming projects or books that your fans can look forward to in the near future?
I am writing a series called Living in Hope; Hope is a small western town, and the series - so far - is about three men who are friends, and their finding true love.
How did you first learn about AllAuthor? In what ways has this website helped you as a writer? Is there anything you're not a big fan of?
TBH I don't know how I happened upon AllAuthor. I love the graphics you can create for your books and the support from the site. At this time, I have no complaints.
