Since how long have you been living in central Massachusetts?
I’ve lived in central Massachusetts my entire life. I love the changing of the seasons and how each season brings something new, so have never wanted to move.
Have you always wanted to be a writer? When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?
I’ve been an avid reader all my life and that transferred into dreaming of becoming a writer. I loved my creative writing classes in school and always wrote short stories. It took my father’s sudden passing to give me the push to make my writing dream a reality. When he passed, I realized how short life could be and not to put your dreams on hold – go out and live your dreams with mine being an author.
How has been your experience of working in financial services marketing for over twenty years?
My financial services experience in marketing has been wonderful and has provided me with the skills needed to take my writing career to the next level. Although a stressful industry to work in, I’ve learned so much that can be applied across my life and am grateful for the fantastic mentors I’ve had along the way. Marketing is such a robust area with many different avenues to pursue. I’ve been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to explore the many facets of marketing which in turn I share with fellow authors who may not have the background that I do. It’s my way of giving back.
What qualities about Emma Sharpeton’s character in "Wicked Game of the Hunter" do you personally admire?
Emma is someone who follows her dreams, which I admire tremendously. She is not afraid to take a chance, which in real-life isn’t always an easy thing to do. Emma fights for what she believes in and makes sure that she never forgets the people who helped her along the way.
What do you think makes a good mystery? Who's your favorite mystery author?
A good mystery is one that isn’t predictable or that you know in the first few pages who the villain is. Plus, a good mystery has well-defined characters as they will add to the plot. I really enjoy John Sanford. I think he develops his characters very well so you feel that you know them. His books are descriptive enough so you can picture the places and people in your mind but not overwhelming and taking away from the story.
What are some of your goals as a writer? Have they changed over time?
My first goal was to complete a novel, which ultimately and unexpectedly turned into a trilogy. I never set out to write the three books but the story took over and that’s where I ended up. My main goal is to create books that people enjoy – their break from the reality of life. I want my readers to have fun and wonder what’s going to happen next.
What are some unconventional ideas or themes you write about in the Wicked Game of the Hunter series?
I don’t think that there are really unconventional ideas in the series. I tried to stay away from anything gory or abusive towards women. There is the typical greed, malice and mayhem that hopefully adds to the story.
What do you enjoy most about writing? Would you continue to write as much as you do even if you weren't a published author?
I love being creative. My work life is more regimented and writing allows me to escape that for a while. There’s something about having a blank screen in front of you (or blank page in a notebook) and knowing that you can write about anything you wish. I would definitely continue writing, even if I wasn’t a published author. As I said, it’s a creative release that is truly enjoyable. My dream would be to retire and just write all day, even if what I wrote never got published.
How important do you think a book title is? What are your tips of penning a catchy and intriguing book title?
The book title and cover design are two of the most important things. If you don’t have something eye-catching, it doesn’t matter what is inside the cover. You need something that intrigues the potential reader enough to say, “I want to check this out further.” For each of my books, I didn’t decide on the title until almost the end of writing the book. I tried to let the books’ content drive the title versus the other way around.
How did you go about creating the character "Hunter Logan"? What aspects of his character do you relate to?
Before I wrote the first sentence of Wicked Game of the Hunter, I did about four months of character analysis. I truly believe this added depth to each of the characters, including Hunter Logan. As part of the analysis, I researched what I wanted his personality to be, the clothes he would wear, where he would live. This all helped form the character in my mind which I was then able to transfer into the story. Hunter, similar to Emma, is someone who isn’t afraid to go after what he wants and protect the ones he loves.
How long did it take you to write "Wicked Shadow of the Hunter" Volume 2?
It took approximately six months for the writing and fine-tuning before I sent to the publisher to begin that aspect. I tried not to rush and meet an arbitrary deadline, but didn’t want my readers to wait too long.
Who is your favourite fictional couple (can be from a book, TV series, movie, etc)?
Richard Castle & Kate Beckett from the TV series, Castle. They are quirky yet fit well together.
A thing that you would like to change about yourself. What would that be?
The biggest thing I’d love to change about myself is to not put so much pressure on myself to succeed. It sounds strange to say that, but I end up stressing myself out with trying to make sure everything is perfect and done in a timely manner. Sometimes I wish that I could just stop and smell the roses.
Any word of inspiration for budding authors of today and your avid readers?
For fellow authors - have fun! Don’t let writing be a chore. It should be something that you love to do, otherwise it will show in your writing.
For readers – keep on reading and don’t be afraid to expand out of your typical genres. There are so many fabulous independent authors out there that need support from readers – go out and experience them!
How do you manage all your social media accounts and write promotions? Have you had pleasant experience with AllAuthor so far and is this a platform you might recommend to others?
It definitely gets challenging trying to manage social media and promotions on top of every day life. I make sure that I block off time a few days a week to dedicate to that. It’s the only way that I’m able to keep up! AllAuthor has been such a great experience and huge help from a marketing standpoint. It has saved me tons of time and made it so easy. I’ve recommended AllAuthor to any new authors that I meet in my travels and continually hear back that they love what AllAuthor provides.
