You’ve said “Sweets for Him” draws from your real life. What personal experiences or emotions most shaped the story?
I started with Italian traditions, food, and customs to be a theme through out the series. I am Italian, the only girl of six children, and the youngest just like Lily. Brady is a police officer as is my real-life husband. I also love to bake and cook.
Growing up in a big Italian family with five older brothers must have been lively. How did that upbringing influence your characters or themes?
I was raised to grit my teeth and bear the pain, like my brothers. I couldn’t fall apart in tears in front of them, so I learned to be tough, think on my feet, and always make sure I could do things independently. I rarely asked for help.
You were adopted at a young age—how has that shaped your sense of identity and belonging, both in life and in your writing?
I was told when I was adopted that I was special because I was chosen by a family. I never thought being adopted was a bad thing or that I was abandoned by my birth parents. I was loved and spoiled by my Italian father, being his only girl. I wanted to share that unconditional love with my readers and let them know all kinds of love is out there waiting for them to find it.
Italian culture and tradition are woven throughout your book. Which tradition means the most to you, and why?
The food is my love language to share with others.
You married young into the military. How did that experience teach you about love, resilience, and commitment?
I’m married 39 years now to my high school sweetheart. I’ve seen marriages come and go in that time. Marriage is work, times are tough, raising children is difficult, and life is not always hearts and roses. If you commit your love to someone, you need to be there through it all.
What made you choose law enforcement as the central theme of your debut novel?
My husband is a police officer, and it felt right to have him be my hero in my debut book. I had just survived a brain aneurysm surgery and wanted to stick with something I knew well so I didn’t need to do as much research to make the book believable.
Your motto says “Music inspires me, cooking excites me, and nature soothes me.” Can you share how each one plays a role in your daily creative routine?
I have loved music my entire life. I participated in choir from kindergarten through senior year of high school. I listen to the lyrics and really feel them in my life or my characters. I have been cooking since I was seven years old and make food for friends and family all the time. Trying a new recipe for someone is thrilling. It’s my love language to all around me. Nature, I found to really call to me in my teens. Rivers babbling, waves rolling, rain hitting the roof soothed me at a time of trauma in my life. I went camping, hiking, and canoeing in my teens and found the peace of nature did wonders for my wounded body and soul.
When you’re writing emotional or romantic scenes, do you draw from personal memories or pure imagination?
Emotional scenes I try and draw from my own life or those closest to me who have shared vulnerable moments with me. Romantic scenes I see the characters in my head and write from my own experiences ora natural progression of how I see the scene working.
How do you balance your love of Italian food and family tradition with the discipline it takes to sit down and write?
I find some days I can only write a line or two and other pages flow out of my mind. It has nothing to do with discipline for me and everything to do with the feelings I have on any given day. It also depends on the scene I’m writing.
Was there a particular song, place, or moment that sparked the very first idea for Sweets for Him?
I was twenty and my husband was on a one-year tour overseas that I couldn’t go to. I would write him stories to keep the romance alive. We only spoke once a week and it was difficult. By writing scenes to him, I got ideas for future writings.
How do you hope readers will connect with your characters—especially those inspired by real people from your life?
I would love for all of my readers to feel the vulnerability, honesty, and independence in my characters. I want to them to see the healing I have in each book and realize that anyone can heal from their own trauma and that everyone has scars in life.
What was the most surprising or healing thing you discovered about yourself while writing this book?
I took a long time to write book four, Skittish to Love, because it was a healing journey for me. After writing one particular scene I walked away from the computer for two weeks. Now that the book is out, I hope others who have experienced similar events in their lives see the healing that has to be done in yourself before facing the world with your pain.
You’ve lived a life full of strong bonds and challenges. How do you hope your story will inspire others—especially women or adoptees?
I want everyone to know it is their story to tell how they see fit. Everyone has scars, everyone suffers something in their lives, and most of us have some sort of trauma to work through. Speak up when you’re ready and tell your story. No one else will tell it like you.
What’s next for you as a writer? Are there more stories ahead that blend your Italian roots, real-life experience, and romance?
I have been disappointed with everything involved in getting my books out there. I have spent more money than I ever thought I would have to spend, close to $100,000, on six books. I still have agencies asking for more to trademark and get a DMCA just to get my royalties paid. I’m thinking I’m done with writing for now.
How would you rate your experience of working with AllAuthor in all these years?
I have loved working with All Authors. I love their promotional choices and photos available for weekly ads. If dealing with my other companies were this easy, I’d keep writing.
