Do you participate in writing challenges on social media? Do you recommend any?
I love writing challenges. NaNoWriMo has been a wonderful outlet to keep me on my toes when I’m writing. I’ve been utilizing all of my social media outlets – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. I get the most interaction on Instagram.
Do you prefer ebooks, printed books, or audiobooks most of the time?
My favorite thing to do is read books in bed. That means reading an eBook is the best bet. There is something about a copy of a paperback, though. Especially when it is your own book. I love seeing my books in print. Like I accomplished something!
Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?
I have a muse and his name is Hoagie. He is my 7-year-old Dachshund. He’s also a great co-worker. The only time he speaks is if someone walks by our house. So, for me he is more soothing than disturbing.
Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?
Yes I did. And to this day I hated that I did it. My first book has a character that I fell in love with, but the only way to create another story was to let him go. I hated it so much that I made him a sort of ghost in the follow-up story. It was my first story, so I wasn’t sure how the HEA world of Romance books were like.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
I created this fictional town for my mystery series set in the Florida Keys. As many people know, there is only ONE WAY OUT of the Keys. That was why I thought it would be perfect if you were trying to locate a murderer. They only had One Way to get off the island. It also gave me the idea to number the rest of the series. Each book starts with a number in the title.
How long did it take you to write this book?
This book – Royal Entanglements – took me over a year to write. I kept changing the story until I got the perfect Romance and Suspense story that made sense to me.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Normally 6 weeks. I normally sit down and just write. The last week or so is all about editing.
How long have you been writing or when did you start?
I started in 2020 when I was in lockdown due to Covid. I kept having all of these strange dreams, and the only way for me to rest was to write them down. That was how I wrote my first book. Just wrote down what I remembered from my dreams.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
15 books (currently writing #16). My favorite is my first. Meet Virginia.
How much research did you need to do for your book?
Google is your friend when writing. Plus, I ask family and friends how to write certain phrases. Especially in languages I’m not familiar with. So I do an extensive research of the towns I’m writing about, what people like to do there, and how the characters interact with the history.
If your book were made into a movie, which actors would play your characters?
This is one of my favorite things to dream about. I wrote One Way Out with Kristen Bell and Dax Sheppard in mind. I always pictured the two of them as the main characters.
What are your favorite series or series authors?
Janet Evanovich and her Stephanie Plum novels. Funny, romantic, and always a great mystery.
What books helped you the most when you were writing your (first) book?
Outlander. I love Scotland, and it gave me the inspiration to write about Scotland myself.