Please tell us a little about yourself.
I write romantic fiction with suspense, paranormal and mystery elements. I love cooking, eating, causing trouble, football, writing, reading and playing games. I’m a serious original geek, and I’ve plyed the trades of a soldier, fortune teller, and Realtor, in addition to being a Registered Nurse and an author. I once climbed a five story building in Manhattan with a friend years ago on a dare, and locked a Drill Sergeant in a porto-potty as a joke in basic training. I make espresso in a moka pot the old fashioned way, get a monthly order of a strong china black tea called Golden Monkey, and recently conducted a test-kitchen experiment in making different Apple Strudels with my grandfather when he came to stay for the holidays. I’m always up for an adventure and rarely am I ever considered the voice of reason.
What is your book about?
A Haunting Affair is a contemporary mystery romance with paranormal elements, set in the Adirondack mountains.Ex-cop Sam Tyler's death bed promise to solve the cold case murder of his friend's wife has him working hand in hand with sexy Emma Bishop, a psychic with a shady past. Neither expects the case to go hot, or passion to reach flash point between them. With a killer drawing a target on them, and vengeful spirits gathering to make the living pay for past sins, love and truth will be put to the ultimate test
How long did it take you to write?
I wrote it over the space of a year, taking a few breaks in between. It was a change, as my first two books took about three months each to write, once I had the outlines in place.
What inspired you to write this novel?
The Adirondacks sparked my imagination. I vacation frequently at Lake Placid and there are a fair number of unusual and unsolved cases ‘up in them thar hills’. We were on a boat tour of the actual lake and the guide told the story of a very wealthy unmarried heiress, the last of her line, who vanished mysteriously and was later discovered at the bottom of the lake, with chains wrapped round her body. The death was ruled a suicide. The police declared she’d rowed herself to far point of the lake where a deep basin exists, donned the chains and jumped in to die. Its fantastic, especially since at the time of her death she had a broken arm (or shoulder, I forget which), and would have had difficulty getting dressed, let alone rowing out to that desolate spot and garbing up in heavy metal. There is great wealth, remote locations, old families and older secrets, all tucked away in the High Peaks region, that it got my mind going. At the same time I’d been reading up on mediums, and between the peculiar power of the mountains, that, and my fascination with the way old crimes often refuse to go away, the story came to life.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
Third grade. We were supposed to write a story about thanksgiving. Mine was about a space faring turkey named Gobble (original, right?). He came down and liberated the other turkeys. I had illustrated it as well, including a picture of a large axe, and frantic turkeys running wild in the margins. I may have decided earlier than that, but it all crystallized with that story. If I’d done something like that now, I probably would have been kicked out of school. Instead, my creativity was encourages. Interesting days, those.
What part of writing do you struggle with? Character, plot, description or dialogue?
Byzantine plotting is my danger zone. I’m an old game geek and used to be the game/dungeon master, and former spy novel addict, so I like a lot of things going into the brew to keep everyone guessing. It works, I get great feedback on keeping pacing tight, and keeping people guessing, however, to get to that point I have to really scale back in the prep work for the book. I was reading Agatha Christie’s biography recently. Early on she’d received instruction from a neighbor and infamous author at the time, and she remarked upon how solid the advice had been, particularly a comment about plot. He’d told her she was cramming too much plot into things (this was prior to her first book, she was an early teen I believe). Too much plot often required too much wording or book to tell the story, and you’d lose the reader if you didn’t have the skill to really pull it off. Plus, why waste all that plot on one book. Brilliant.
What made you decide on self-publishing?
I wasn’t certain how much I could commit to someone else’s time line or schedule on this book. My first two went through Samhain publishing, and there were all manner of deadlines and commitments. My life is fairly busy, and several things were going on that I wanted to make sure had the necessary attention. I knew I wouldn’t be able to promise anything, nor did I feel like I wanted to be on the clock. I was also starting to convert my lifestyle to an island time, or la dolce vita (the sweet life), focus. I wanted to be able to stop, smell roses when I wanted, wander a bit, and relax into a different lifestyle. Self-publishing put me on no one’s timeline but my own, and allowed me the space I felt I needed.
Did you have a professional editor?
Yes, Anne LaFarge. I also had a beta reader, and belong to a crit group of multi-published authors who are brutal.
Do you edit as you write or wait until your book is finished?
I outline, write (a few scenes or chapters), submit to crit, get feedback, revise a bit, but keep pushing forward until the book is done. Then I tighten up, have a beta reader review, and after that, on to editors.
Are you currently working on any projects?
I’m working on the follow up book to A Haunting Affair, set in the same town. Jake Meyer, the sheriff from the first book, (and the most tragic and eligible bachelor in town), is the hero. I’m also working on a short story for release in January. It’s a light paranormal mystery featuring a medium, a ghost hunter, a mansion and a murder. The medium is Emma’s boss from A Haunting Affair, and the story takes place in my adopted home town of Troy, New York.
Any advice for new authors?
Write. Write. Write some more. In between all of that writing, go do weird things, explore the world (on line, outside your door, how ever works best), read, and feed your head. But no matter what, don’t stop writing. Don’t let market, or anyone’s negativity grind you down. Get out there and do your thing.
Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what type of music?
I do a playlist for each book. I’m a huge rock and roll fan and old metal head, but I’m also a reformed musician so I enjoy a wide variety of sound. I mix it up, from metal to techno to 80’s new wave, punk, soul, blues, world beat, polka, it’s all fair game. Sometimes a song or a band will capture the ‘feeling’ of a book, or a character. So I might play that again and again until it’s inside of me, and I use that to inform character action. Once I’ve played a bunch of tunes, though, it’s not unusual for me to hit mid book and finish the rest without music. Once I’m wrapped up in the writing, I can’t pay attention to much else. It all fades away.
Best time of day to write?
Depends on the book. Lately mornings and afternoons work. Last two books were all night books. The short story likes the after the day job slot.
Top 3 authors?
Agatha Christie, Nora Roberts, Terry Pratchett
Top 3 novels of all time?
Just three? Wow, there are so many, and I discover more every day.
Born in Ice (Nora Roberts) – Fun, intense, something about it resonated with me and I can read it again and again. Plus, the hero leaves. Things are not easily resolved. People are jerks. Life gets messy. And yet, there is magic, and there is love. Sort of like life.
The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) – It introduced me to the amnesia plot line, and the life within a life theme, which I love! Plus, it kept me guessing every step of the way. I read it when I was very young, and first allowed to take books from the adult section of the library.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) – Never underestimate the value of a good towel.
Top 3 movies of all time?
Star Wars IV – A New Hope, original, where Han shoots first. I saw that in the theater, and something changed in me forever.
Star Wars V – The Empire Strikes Back. Two words: Boba Fett. Man, that was a crazy flick!
The Bird Cage – Terminally funny, witty, crazy, absurd, intense. I can watch this over and over.
What do you read the most? Fiction or non-fiction?
Probably sixty forty in favor of fiction.
Is your book in Print, ebook or both?
A Haunting Affair is currently digital only.
Where can your readers contact you? Links, etc.
http://www.facebook.com/
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