Tell us a little bit about your childhood and where you grew up.
I was born and raised in a little town called North Manchester, Indiana. It’s a farm community with Old Order German Baptist Dunkers and Amish mixed in. There’s a small liberal arts university called Manchester University there. I grew up as an only child although I have half siblings much older than me. I was in various sports and discovered writing around age 8. It’s been a passion ever since. I didn’t move to New England until I was 27 years old.
Which of your childhood dreams was the first to die?
I’ve never let many of my dreams die. I still write. I still travel the world. I still believe in myself. The only dream that probably ever died for me was the Cinderella dream of finding prince charming. I hate that story and wish that it was banned instead of all the great stories that have been banned around the world. I love my husband of 25 years, and he is wonderful, but prince charming is a ridiculous ideal.
What made you decide to become a writer?
Easy, “Little Women”. The minute I read that book, I was hooked on story telling. The more books I read, the stronger I had the urge to write.
How do you use your imaginative thinking and creative flair to bring your stories to life in engaging and entertaining ways?
I’m a truly haphazard writer. I normally start out asking a “what if” question and letting the story meander into a life of its own. Most of my pulling the story together comes in editing.
What is your book, The Destiny Dream about?
Ah, “The Destiny Dream.” A whole lot of the things that happened in that story are real. It’s the one book that has the most of my life in it. It’s difficult to believe that almost all of it happened, but there it is. Sandy, the main character in the book begins to have a recurring dream in the beginning, and the rest of the story is her life while she’s trying to sort out what it means and what to do about it. It seems to meander like “Forrest Gump” but there is a path and it is to her destiny.
Did you plan all the books in The Lost Tsar Trilogy in advance?
I didn’t plan any of those books at all. I was messing around on a writing site that I joined with a friend of mine. After I wrote the first chapter, readers on the site and my friend egged me on, so I kept writing. The first two books worked exactly like that. By the time I reached the third book, I’d decided to finally plan an end. I didn’t list it as a trilogy until after I wrote the first draft of the second book.
What challenges did you face while making "Alice" a humorous novel?
“Alice” was a challenge from my husband. He wasn’t a fan of most of the action adventure stories and said I should write something funny, because he thought I was a hilarious person. I didn’t think much about the story as I was writing it. I just tried to find humor in it and somehow finding humor in a tense situation seemed right to me. Turns out, “Alice” has been my husband’s favorite book.
With new technologies emerging, do you think novelists will be replaced by artificial intelligence?
It wouldn’t surprise me to see it become a new genre, but I think that the individual mind will continue to be part of the culture.
As a fictional character, story, setting and/or title creator, do you want to hire anybody who is very good at any kinds of sciences, fantasies and/or histories to help you?
I have consulted experts for information when I’ve needed it. However, I’m a master at research and I’m not a young person and come with a wealth of life experience; therefore, probably not on a regular basis. I would like to have the money to hire cover designers and editors at some time.
Do you read romantic suspense novels? Which is your favorite?
Not as a rule. I would be more likely to watch stories of that flavor on TV and movies.
What is the best suspense novel you've ever written? Why do you feel it's your best work?
So far, I’d say “Greenville (Dynasty of the North Woods)”. I wasn’t even completely sure what the end was going to be until roughly halfway through the first draft. It’s been very well received, so I think it’s definitely the best so far. I believe that the popularity is by and large due to the location in Maine and the fish out of water aspect of Eddie Carrington.
Can fictional stories be used to prove a point?
I think that’s been done repeatedly for centuries. For example, I read “Slaughterhouse Five” at a young age. I’ve seen the controversy over this novel throughout my life and it never ends. The truth about the book is that it was designed to show how traumatizing and pointless war is. If you understand it, you understand that Kurt Vonnegut proves an undeniable point within the story.
When you are writing an ongoing book series, when do you think it's time to stop?
I think that’s a self help topic. You need to know when you’ve begun grasping at straws and it’s time to lay it to rest. I’ve been deeply offended at the Tom Clancy regime for continuing to produce stories under his name that are mostly substandard compared to his novels long after he passed. Then there’s Janet Evanovich who never seems to run out of ideas for Stephanie Plum. I don’t think there’s a number, but the author needs to call it when it’s time.
What are you currently working on? When can we expect your next book?
I’m working on a number of things, because I have the busiest mind in the world. I’m working on a sequel to “Greenville.” There will be a lot of crazy interesting characters and story lines in that one. I’m working on a story called “Bourbon” which is another women’s story; very different from “Alice”, but every woman has a story you know. “Bourbon” will probably come out first, mid year. “Greenville II” has no release date yet, but that could change on a dime, because I sometimes just bang it out.
How long have you been associated with AllAuthor? How has your experience been?
I’m honestly not sure. Probably at least a year. I didn’t fully join until last fall. My experience has been wonderful. As a self pub, AllAuthor allows me to make a lot of adds, publicize promotions and do book releases. It’s been a great experience and I intend to keep my membership for the foreseeable future.
