Can you tell us about the real-life experiences that inspired the events in this book?
With Demetrius, cheating! The feeling of being cheated on is devastating. When it first happened to me, I felt horrible. I wanted him to feel this pain deeper than most ever would. For one, it was his karma for what he did to Asia, and I wanted it to be from a male's perspective of him writing diary entries as opposed to it always being my female characters
With Asia, I know what it's like to lose your mother figure, and I needed the book to connect in a way that hasn't been connected before. She tries to bounce back, but she still has setbacks. I've been there many, many times in my life.
How do you balance writing such personal stories with keeping your private life separate?
Now that The Billionaire's Diary ( Book 17 ) won the 2026 Regal Summit Romance Book Award, I will be showing my face a lot more. I tried to keep a lot of myself private, but I was also an open book at the beginning of my writing journey. I decided to turn this into a career back in January of this year. I know what comes with that, and I'm ready to face the social anxiety that I always feared.
What challenges did you face writing Asia Havono?
I felt every emotion throughout the entire novel. I felt when she was sad, I felt when she was happy, I felt when she was hopeful, and I felt when she was devastated. After writing scenes like that, I needed a break.
What challenges did you face writing Demetrius Okawmmay?
Writing from a male's perspective without sounding too feminine and sensitive. I wanted him to be a hopeless romantic, but that had to come later on in the book. I had to stick to him being broken and filled with anger and insecurity. Rereading the book, I think I did a great job.
This novel has won the 2026 Regal Summit Book Award. Tell me how this came about.
Back in January, I told myself that I wanted to turn this into a career. I no longer wanted to write for fun. I submitted several books to three different book award committees- one of those being the RSBA. I ended up with 13 book nominations. In June, I attended what I thought would be my first literary award show, turned out to be a disaster. A week later, I got the email and couldn't believe the one book submitted to the Regal Summit won!
Tell us how that felt. Where were you when you found out, and how has this win changed your perspective of writing now?
I had woken up and opened my books email. I saw the word BRAVO, and at first I thought I was a finalist. I opened it, sat up in my bed, and felt like everything I had been through in the last 9 years was worth it. Every negative review, the ones who told me I wouldn't make it past Book 1, all of the copyright infringement I experienced, the ones who told me my books were trash. I felt in that moment that I made it and I was on track to where I want to be.
This win means more to me than anything because, for several months, I submitted this exact novel to dozens of Agents for Sub-Rights representation, and they either told me they loved it but couldn't sell it or that the book wasn't good enough. I'll never forget this part in my career.
What was your writing routine like when writing this novel?
I would wake up, write down anything good that came to mind in my notes. Mostly it was a quote I could use for Demetrius. Around 5:30pm I'd sit in my truck under my favorite tree with snacks at the Police Station and write. Fun fact: I've been going to this exact spot to write my books for 8 years, and I'm truly thankful that I found a safe place to write at the Spokane Valley Police Station. After several chapters, I'd head to my favorite place to take a walk and continue until it got dark.
Did you outline the book before writing, or do you prefer a more organic writing process?
For this book, I did both. I always write down the characters, where they're from, their ethnicities, their parents, friends, and any other important fact I'll need later. Ever since I sustained a TBI 5 years ago from a car accident, I forget things a lot, so this helps.
How do you balance staying true to your creative vision with the commercial success of your work?
I promised myself that I would never sell out for any form of gain that goes against my values. I remember why I started this in the first place- that means more to me than anything.
In this novel, Demetrius writes in his Diary. How was that perceived by readers?
Overall, many readers loved it. It was different than a woman writing in her diary. We got to see the true feelings of Demetrius that other people never got to. I haven't received any negative feedback; in fact, I have received several comments that they loved his interpretation throughout each diary entry. I wrote this book 9 years ago, and back then people thought it was weird that a man was writing in his diary. But now it's more accepted, and I think the revision of this book made it 10 times better; plus, times have changed, and people are more accepting of things like that.
What do you hope readers take away from this novel?
When you find the one, never let them go. They may never come back to you.
How has AllAuthor helped you during your writing career so far?
AllAuthor has been amazing! My first interview was with AllAuthor, and to be doing another since winning an award is such a blessing! The way AllAuthor cares about writers and authors is such a gift. I hope more people in the writing world take notes and open their doors to the same experiences.
