Tell us a bit about your latest work.
My newest release is a science fantasy story that sends the heroine on a journey across the galaxy, running for her life because she chose to save a mysterious imprisoned man rather than take the easy and safe route and turn a blind eye. Along the way, as she tries to find safety for herself and Xabiere, entities older than the universe itself wage a timeless war. Erielle must let go of fear and embrace her power to save those she loves and possibly all of creation.
What are the themes and subjects you tend to revisit in your work?
Some common underlying themes that my characters wrestle with:
- Setting aside prejudices and accepting people for who they are rather than whatever groups they belong to
- Learning to accept yourself for who you are rather than pretending to be something else in order to “fit in”
- Various family trauma is often represented b/c in life blood connections do not automatically equate to love. Some of my characters have found family, some have families that loved them, and some have to overcome the pain of rejection. I try to include all sorts of variations to reflect reality.
What happened in your life that prompted you to become a writer?
I became a stay-at-home mom. Now, granted, that was a mere 2.5 years, but it was enough time for me to require something to engage my brain and a chance to rediscover the part of me that lived for my epic make-believe dramas as a kid. I started writing in a way as a challenge to myself. I was in an unhappy and abusive marriage and doing something solely for me, something others had made me think I could not do, it was a step toward reconnecting with who I was at my core and the power I held. My characters have epic fantastical powers, but all of us have the power of self-determination. We simply have to embrace it.
What inspires you to write?
Life. No, really. Writing is cathartic and a passion of mine. I can take the everyday struggles we all face and plop them into epic adventures with grandiose stakes, and have a good win, or at the very least, come out on top. Also, I like writing steamy weird alien sex :p
What would be your dream project?
It might sound trite, but every project of mine is a dream project. They are works of passion. I know some authors want to work in certain franchises/fandoms and while that could be amazing, bring my own characters to life, and building their worlds….that’s my dream. I don’t write to get rich and famous, although is someone wants to make me rich and famous I won’t argue. 😜
If you have any former project to do over to make it better, which one would it be, and what would you do?
In a way, I already got to do that. I did an edit of a previously released urban fantasy story that was re-released last year as the beginning of a new series. I modernized some of the details and tightened up the writing. I also gave it a much cooler series title, which I have to credit my publisher for. She’s really good at titles. I tend to be a bit too wordy or a bit too literal. I find titles to be a challenge.
What writers have influenced your style and technique?
Even though I do not write romance, I credit a number of romance writers for my style. Sherrilyn McQueen, JR Ward, JD Robb/Nora Roberts, Karen Marie Moning and Patricia Potter to name a few. I read a LOT of their work. I love Kenyon’s intensive world-building that utilizes mythology. Patricia Potter is known for her historical romances, but romance aside she drops you into a world and makes you feel like you are in whatever time period she has picked. I don’t write much historical or even contemporary, but I always keep her details in mind as to what to aim for, as that was the weakest part of my writing when I began. Something all those have in common, at least in their best works, is that the plot isn’t focused on sex, and while the romance is front and center, there’s a complex plot with excellent world-building. Jim Butcher, Kevin Herne, and JF Lewis would be good examples of non-romances with similar world complexity, often romance appears as a subplot, and sometimes there’s sex, and there’s at least one snarky or smartass character. The plot is generally linear and action-packed, but even with explosions and death-defying exploits you see character growth.
Where would you rank writing on the “Is it an art or it is a science continuum?” Why?
Both. I am probably in the murky middle. You have to have that spark of artistry, that thread of imagination that weaves familiar tropes into new tales, but the science part is making sure your grammar is correct, the pacing feels right for the genre, the threads all come together etc. Knowing the key pieces of what makes a good story and how to write characters so they are not flat, that takes practice.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Carving out time to do it. I passionately enjoy writing, but I also am passionate about science (my day job). The one that pays more bills tends to suck up a lot of my energy and time.
How do your writer friends help you become a better writer? Or do they not?
When I first started, I went to writers' meetings. There were lectures and workshops on all manner of things connected to the writing process. I have learned A LOT from fellow writers at all levels. Even though I don’t go to writers’ meetings anymore, I am still inspired every time I pick up a story a fellow writer has written. I might take note of how they describe scenery, or clever foreshadowing, or particularly good dialogue. I don’t copy it, but rather try to see how they did it in order to tweak my own process.
What does literary success look like to you?
For me that will happen when there are people beyond my friend circle that love my characters as much as I do.
Any other upcoming projects you would like to plug?
I’m not sure when either will be out, but I have two short stories that will appear in anthologies from Pro Se Productions possibly (hopefully) this year. One is a space fantasy adventure for a character I was given named “Homesick Thornton”. He got snatched from his home and is adventuring across the galaxy trying to get home. In my story, he helps hijack a slaver ship and free the captives. The other story is a fantasy where a mage apprentice tasked with delivering a very important object is set upon by thieves. She hires a local sheriff, who happens to be a dryad. Together they track down the object she was directed to deliver, uncover a plot against the king, and have to prevent war and mayhem. That anthology is titled “The Dragon Wore a Badge” and all the stories feature mystical creatures of various sorts in a law enforcement role.
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