Can you, for those who don't know you already,
tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
Writing,
as a career, came late to me. I had left the Pacific Northwest (where
I spent most of my life) and moved to North Carolina to break a rut
that I seemed to be in. One night I was sitting in my living room and
realized that somewhere along the way I had lost the girl whose motto
had always been “Fortune Favors The Bold.” More than that, I
wanted her back.
That
night, I made a decision that changed the course of my life… no
more fear based decisions. That doesn’t mean that I’m reckless or
that I sometimes don’t opt to do something. I just check in with
myself to ensure that I’m making the decision based on something
other than fear.
That
decision led to my asking myself if there was something I’d rather
be doing with my life than working as a Business Office Manager.
There was… I wanted to be a published author. That was late in
2017. My first book was published, under a different pen name, in
January 2018. In April 2019, I was able to quit my day job to write
full time,
What
is something unique/quirky about you?
I once sailed from
Seattle, Washington to Honolulu, Hawaii with a friend who had only
owned a boat for a year. I had never sailed in deep water.
Tell
us something really interesting that's happened to you!
If
you knew you'd die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
I would make sure
that everything in my life was in order for those that remained. I
would then spend the rest of my time with my “family”—good
friends and my dogs (basset hounds). If I had acquired a horse by
then, I would go for a long trail ride in order to clear my mind and
prepare for whatever is to come.
What
are you passionate about these days?
Absolutely
everything! I am passionate about what I do for a living and how I
live my life. I have been incredibly blessed to be able to do what I
love for a living and touch others in a way that sometimes is so
profound that I find myself humbled.
What
do you do to unwind and relax?
Ride horses—either
trail ride or try to jog trot the perfect circle! I also spend time
with close friends and my beloved basset hounds who make me laugh out
loud at least once each day.
Describe
yourself in 5 words or less!
Passionate,
Intelligent, Kind, Author, Equestrian
When
did you first consider yourself a writer?
January 29, 2018 –
the day the my first book appeared on Amazon. I literally whooped in
excitement—scared the heck out of bassets!
What
inspired you to write this book?
I had written Always
Daddy’s Girl with Maren Smith. We were just finishing up the
final draft when we each felt that Reid’s story needed to be told.
As often happens with Maren, we had the same idea for a general plot…
and the rest, as they say, is history.
What
can we expect from you in the future?
Bulldog, the
next in the Mercenary Masters series, just came out and will be
followed, in order by, Spirit Bear, a bear-shifter story, Top
Dog, the next in the Mercenary Masters series, and then the
expansion of the novella, Best Seller into a full-blown novel.
Just this morning, I started on another bear-shifter story—I find
the heroes of those tales very growly! And I have two wolf-shifter
series planned, one a spin-off from the Wayward Mates series set in
the wine country along the Pacific Coast and one a cowboy/wolf
shifter story.
Do
you have any “side stories” about the characters?
I tend to write
novellas for my newsletter subscribers about secondary characters in
books.
How
did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
The “hero” of
Reid was a character who made his first appearance in Croft as
Finn’s brother. His story and character kept evolving until it
needed to be told.
Who
designed your book covers?
I have worked with
four amazing cover artists—Korey Mae Johnson who does all of my
Stormy Night Publications as well as Allysa Hart, Madden Kole and
Betty Shreffler who design my indie-published books.
Anything
specific you want to tell your readers?
As trite as it may
sound, I hope they know how very much I appreciate them taking my
characters to heart and inviting me into their lives.
How
did you come up with name of this book?
The other books in
the series were all the names of the heroes (except for Always
Daddy’s Girl) so it seemed obvious to call it Reid.
Are
your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely
from your imagination?
In my opinion, any
writer who tells you that characters are made up entirely from their
imagination is lying to you, themselves or both. Writers are
influenced every day by the people and events they encounter. It
isn’t always conscious or intentional, but it is there.
Do
your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have
the reins of the story?
I absolutely have no
control. Sometimes I think I do, but my characters slap me down and
make sure I understand it is their story and will be told their way.
Fun
Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?'-type tidbits about the author,
the book or the writing process of the book.
I work best
when I have found a picture of my hero to serve as inspiration. I
keep his image on a secondary monitor
I try to set my
books in real places that people can go and see and touch and get
their hands on
Do
the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them
come to you as you write?
A little of both. I
generally know the main characters, but not always the secondary
ones. The most annoying part is when I’m more than half way through
a book and one of them tells me, “Oh by the way”… and its
something vital to the story that necessitates my going back through
the story to re-vamp it and thread that information throughout.
What
kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I generally write
from my own experiences, but if not, I find readers in my private
Facebook grou, Delta’s Wayward Pack, and use them to funnel answers
to questions and double check my facts.
Do
you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Depends on the book,
the scene and how I am feeling. I think I am at my most productive
when I have Pandora playing.
Do
you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
Even though I am a
“pantser” versus a “plotter,” I write one book at a time from
beginning to end.
Pen
or type writer or computer?
Computer. I can’t
stand to write on anything else.
Advice
they would give new authors?
Write! Every single
day! Pick an amount of time that you will dedicate to writing – not
being on social media, not emailing friends, not working on editing
your book, but working on your next novel. If you want a career as an
author, treat it like it’s a business! Plan to spend money honing
your craft, marketing your book, getting a good editor and a good
cover designer. If you hire someone to do your marketing, make sure
they understand what it is you write and that they are good at their
job—then get out of their way and let them do it!
What
makes a good story?
Well-developed
characters, a good story to tell and lots of steamy sex and
discipline!
What
is your writing Kryptonite?
A beautiful autumn
day, a gorgeous horse and a trail that needs exploring… gets me
every time!
Do
you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I try to put my own
unique spin on what my readers want to read.
How
long on average does it take you to write a book?
The first draft
(which goes to my publisher) takes about two to three weeks.
Do
you believe in writer’s block?
No. I believe it is
a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you get stuck, pull up your big girl
panties, take a break and then get back to it! Harsh I know, but it
this is your career/job/business, you have to treat it as such and
sometimes you have to push through even when it seems impossible!
