Can you tell us more about your upbringing in the mountains outside of Las Vegas and how it influenced your writing?
Growing up in the mountains allowed me to have a lot of reflective time. There was no internet and our form of entertainment was hiking, watching movies and reading. Sometimes we didn’t have power and it was too cold to go hiking, so reading was one of the ways I got to spark my imagination.
What sparked your passion for writing as a young teen, and how did it evolve over the years?
Reading a lot of Stephen King books, I thought to myself, “I would love to write stories like this.” So, I picked up a notepad and a pencil and started writing. I’ve always had an active imagination of my own, but some of the things I wrote about were considered inappropriate for a young lady to write about, so I burned my manuscripts and didn’t write again until recently.
It's mentioned that you needed enough life experience before having the courage to write novels. Can you elaborate on the experiences that played a significant role in shaping your writing journey?
The type of stories I write are true in a paranormal sense and slightly descriptive on the spicy side. Had I not been experimental in my adult years, I wouldn’t have had the details needed to write the things I write about.
Mystical Love and your upcoming series of paranormal romance novels are mentioned as being inspired by divine timing and spiritual healing work. How do these elements manifest in your storytelling?
The spiritual teachers in my stories are based on elements of real people I have met to help me on my own healing journey and what I have taught others as a spiritual teacher. The main female character in the series, Sabrina, has to shift her mindset to accept her gifts, just as I did to become a writer.
How do you balance your roles as a writer and a teacher of spiritual tools for a more fulfilling life?
That part is easy. It’s balancing my day job and family life with my spiritual teachings and writing that’s the juggle. LOL! In all seriousness, though, I believe we all create time for things that are important to us. Most people watch ample amounts of television or spend time doing things that drain their energy. For me, it’s more about energy management than time management.
Family appears to be an important part of your life. How does your family influence or inspire your writing?
My husband is my favorite person in the world. He is supportive in everything I do, even when others think I can’t do it. His support and love inspired the character, Richard. Also, it took me thirty-two years to catch the storytelling bug again because of limiting beliefs. I want to be an example for my kids that they can do whatever they want as long as they take action on their dreams.
Can you share a bit about your creative process? How do you approach writing novels, especially in the paranormal romance genre?
My creative process is very similar to how mediums channel messages. I dream of my characters and different scenes. When I sit down to write about them, I can see the scenes like I’m watching a movie. The paranormal part is easy because as a spiritual teacher, I have experience with paranormal reality. The romance part was born out of a need to see an equality in the male and female character. I was getting tired of the alpha male and head-over-heels female characters (or vice versa), so I made up my own empowered, yet flawed, people.
Are there any specific themes or messages you aim to convey through your novel, “Mystical Love”?
Love, magic, forgiveness, acceptance and equality. I want people to know what the healed masculine and healed feminine look like. I also wanted to be inclusive, so my supporting characters are from different countries, cultures, and part of the LGTBQ+ community.
What challenges, if any, do you face in merging spiritual concepts with the paranormal romance genre, and how do you overcome them?
It’s very natural for me to blend spiritual concepts and tools with paranormal romance. There are no monsters in my stories. My goal is to help the spiritually curious people want to learn more about spirituality and psychic gifts. Everyone has them, but it’s fear that holds a lot of people back. That is one of the reason intuition and psychic development is one of my favorite things to teach people.
Your bio mentions having fun date nights with your husband. How does your personal life, including these date nights, impact your creativity and writing process?
Creativity is intimately tied to having fun. Have you ever tried to force yourself to draw, paint, or write? It’s nearly impossible. Again, we go back to creating time for things that are important to us. It is important to have fun and connect for our relationships to flourish. This includes time by ourselves to figure out what we like so we can effectively communicate that with others.
Are there any authors or specific works that have had a profound influence on your writing style or the themes you explore in your novels?
I’ve always been a huge fan of Stephen King. He has a lot of paranormal elements that I love in quite a few of his novels. I’m also a fan of how Dan Brown has true elements throughout his novels. I use elements like that in my novels, and the places in the Mystical Love series are all places you can visit in real life.
How do you see the role of storytelling in conveying spiritual messages and providing a source of inspiration for readers?
Humans learn best through stories. It’s how we’ve been wired since before the discovery of electricity. If someone can see themself as one of the characters in the book, they can learn as the character learns. This way, their retention rate is better, as if it is a memory. If they become inspired by what they are reading, they can reach out and experience their own form of healing and ask me questions.
Can you share a memorable moment or experience that directly influenced a scene or character in one of your novels?
Each character has aspects of my personality. Some people have asked me if Sabrina is me and Richard is my husband, but I can’t say that is true. Although, when they go hiking in Utah together, it is very reminiscent of how we used to go hiking all the time when we were younger.
Looking ahead, what can readers expect from your upcoming series of paranormal romance novels, and how does it build upon the foundation laid by Mystical Love?
I have too much to say about that, but I’ll try to keep it brief. I left a lot of unfinished business open in Mystical Love. Readers can look forward to past lives, a tragic accident, a possible love triangle, and the physical aspects get spicer.
How long have you been associated with AllAuthor? How has your experience been?
AllAuthor was recommended to me by my mentor, so I signed up when I published in August 2023. I like having a new mockup in my inbox and meeting other authors. I’m probably not using it to the best of my advantage, yet.
