Where do you get the inspiration for your books?

Everywhere. Seriously. I’ve had an interesting life – travel, work, relationships – and I do sometimes draw from those experiences to help me get ideas for characters, plot points, settings, etc. Mostly, though, my own life informs the feelings and themes of a book, rather than any specific concrete details. My time as a therapist taught me how much of the human experience is universal to all of us, though it looks a bit different from one person to another. I try to use that experience to make my characters’ struggles realistic and relevant. Aside from that, I also love gleaning inspiration from song lyrics, advertisements, movies, overheard conversations (yes, I am a blatant and unapologetic eavesdropper), and of course the wild firings of my own neurons. Usually this last happens at four in the morning, which is why I keep a notebook and pen next to my bed.

Did you always want to be a writer?

Always. My first big achievement (in my own mind, at least) was a short poem published in the Due West Elementary School literary magazine when I was in second grade. It was about a fire drill and it rhymed and everything. To this day I remember how proud my parents were, and I thought “Okay, so this is my thing. This is what I can do.” And I pretty much always have.

So what’s up with all the other jobs?

Oh, that. You know, the journey of becoming a writer is different for everyone. Some writers, bless them, choose this course for their lives and never waver from it. They study writing and hone their craft from the very beginning, and they can’t imagine doing anything else. For me, writing has been more like driving. It’s something I’ve always done for one part of the day or another, but it hasn’t always been all I do. My personality and energy level called me to other experiences, professionally and personally. I like to think those things have made me a better writer. Who knows?

What are you working on now?

This is by far the question I get most often, along with “When will your next book be out?” The truth is that my work style is sort of quintessential Attention Deficit behavior, and I am usually working on at least three to five project simultaneously. I have projects going in both the contemporary women’s fiction and young adult genres, along with some non-fiction and other, smaller, projects. This makes the time to finish each project a little longer, of course, but that’s what works the best for my addled brain. And gives you the best reading experience! So I appreciate your patience, and if you want to be the first to know when the next book will be out, sign up for email updates.