Get Out of The Way
This past month, while working on the final book in this series, I ran headfirst into a surreal moment. I won’t talk about the scene. I won’t name the character. I won’t even describe the choice that caused the problem, because I refuse to spoil what readers deserve to discover on their own. What I […]
The Last Book In The Series
I’ve spent the last month hanging at the edge of an ending. That sounds dramatic, I know—but if you’ve ever written the final book in a long series, you understand how endings stop being a destination and start becoming a reckoning. For nine books, these characters have followed me everywhere. They’ve ridden along in my […]
A Rare Signing
Years before signing a deal with a publisher, I began my author journey by self publishing. In those early days, I took boxes of books to local events, gift shops, and a few other places near home. Sometimes I offered signed copies, but that mostly involved my first series, Shadow Copy. I have rarely offered […]
How to Deal with Launch Stress
Anytime you get to launch a book it’s a good thing, right? But it still comes with a certain amount of stress. After giving all your energy to a project, it’s natural to wonder, to worry, to dream of what might happen. So, what better way to celebrate the re-launch of They All Had A […]
It seems surreal to be in Retail
When I started writing this series I knew I was going to self publish through KDP and Amazon. I couldn’t have imagined seeing my books on the shelves of retailers like Barnes & Noble, in print. It feels amazing…almost as good as holding that first printed copy in my hands. All of the books in […]
When the Characters Write Themselves
I never start with a plan. I just start writing. At first, it feels like guessing. One line, then another. Then suddenly, the voice changes. The character starts talking. That’s when I know I’m in. I stop thinking and start listening. The story shifts. The words come faster. The best part of writing are those […]
Memories that inspire my writing: The Beach
Hello readers, Two books in my series They All Had a Reason are set at the beach. Some of my earliest and fondest memories were made on the sun-drenched beaches of Southern California. I can still close my eyes and be transported to those days, feeling the warm sand under my feet and hearing the […]
I signed a deal with Sourcebooks
Big news! I still can’t believe it’s true–but it definitely is. I have a publishing deal with SourcebooksSourcebooks Fire My series, They All Had A Reason, will be re-published, and at least two more books will be added to the series. Each of the original 7 books will be re-edited and get awesome new covers. […]
Adding Romance to a Thriller
I think a romantic subplot can add an extra layer of tension and emotional investment in an already gripping story. The key for me is to make the romance interesting enough that it could stand on its own, while at the same time not letting it take over too much of the story. The main […]
Good Secrets make Great Stories
If you’re like me and you love stories that make you uncomfortable in the best way—stories with unreliable narrators, emotional landmines, and endings that make you stare at the wall for a while—then here are a couple books that have been sitting heavy with me lately: I know What You Did Last Summer by Lois […]