Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a YA author, English Lecturer, wife, and supermom of one wild child. Originally from the Philadelphia area, before relocating to the Deep South, I found my inspiration’s true place. Literature led me to branch out from the academic arena to spin tales. I have a voracious appetite for books, British television, and pizza. My inability to sit still makes me enjoy life to its fullest. You can find me at the beach, pool, or on some crazy adventure. I’m incredibly hyperactive because of ADHD, so it is hard for me to sit still, which is why I’m always writing—even while “watching” TV. Although hyperactive, I’m one of those determined, confident women who might seem intense, but I am wild, goofy, and super easy to talk to. I’m quite loquacious.
Why Do you write?
I don’t think it was ever a choice. ADHD also gave me an overactive, nonstop imagination. I’ve been writing longer than I can remember. Without writing, I could never get my imagination down and would have many sleepless nights overburdened with ideas. To me, writing takes no conscious thought; I download—via typing—scenes playing out like movies in my mind.
What genre do you write, and why did you pick this genre?
I write upper YA romance, primarily speculative. I’ve dabbled in dystopian, fantasy, and myth-based. When I was a teen, I loved romance. There weren’t all these fantastic books like there are today—nothing gritty, almost adult, but only bubble-gum series. As a teen, I filled the gap for my friends with my stories. I never left that category in my novels because I love the age group where teens grapple with the realities of the world and become adults. I also teach 17 to 21-year-olds, so my audience and their concerns are constantly influencing me. As for the genre, I never planned them. I liked contemporary, but things just happened. Before I knew it, instead of a reimagining of a Greek Myth, I had reinvented the gods alive today in a complex series of forbidden love and a fight for power. I thought of a fire prince, so I invented a whole new world and became a fantasy author. I take the story into whatever genre it needs and sometimes bend them.
Tell us about your book.
I have four novels out that just came out on July 5, 2021. My new release is a third in the trilogy, so I’ll tell you about the first book. FYR is book 1 of the Celestial Spheres series. It’s an upper YA fantasy romance with a historical vibe: A cursed prince of fire, an Earth girl of light. Together their magic can save his world, but love is never that easy. Enemies, dragons, and betrayals galore—just another day of court life.
How much time do you dedicate to your author career?
I never thought about it but probably equal to my career in teaching. I don’t do idleness, so I work a lot on both. The summers are where I get a lot of the writing done, though, then spend much less time during the school year revising and editing my books.
How long on average does it take you to write your books?
I wrote my new release during the pandemic, and like everyone else, parenthood and careers became more difficult and time-consuming. Writing came last in 2020, so it took roughly one year. On average, I used to write books in about 5-6 months, from start to submit. I am a fast typist, and explained above how my summers off work give me time to write an entire book in a couple of months before taking a break and then revising and editing.
What is the best money you have ever spent on your author career?
Probably just another computer. I have a desktop and a little netbook now. I love drafting on the little one, and my desktop’s enormous screen is excellent for editing. Word is the sole software I use other than my brain, so nothing fancy to buy on that front. I also have had little luck with small-time ads, but I’m getting ready to try a promo company that does blog tours, and my publisher got me a BookBub feature that helped sales and reviews.
What is the most challenging part of being an author?
Finding time to write and burnout. Being a mother with a full-time career makes it difficult to always have time to write. Also, because I have two series publishing simultaneously, I can get burnt out. As soon as I’m done, something else heads my way. I do like to be busy, just not when life stress is in the mix too.
What is the best piece of advice you have for other authors?
Perseverance and be open to learning experiences, even from bad things. I conquered many things in life, including finding a publisher because I refused to give it up, gave it my all, listened to advice, researched heavily about the industry, and learned to improve my writing over decades.
What is your favorite book?
That’s like asking who is my favorite child—good thing I only have one! Jokes aside, it’s a tough decision between Pride and Prejudice and Far From the Madding Crowd; I’m a classic British book lover. I have many favorites in many genres but limiting myself to those two. Both are just beautiful romances for different reasons.
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