I have always been a storyteller and dreamer. For as long as I can remember, I have loved words. Speaking, writing, using them to express my feelings in my little diary with the metal clasp and bent key...I have always understood their power and ability to transport us to places far from our own.

 

I was around six when I realized the excitement of curling up with a book. 

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The first book that hooked me was The Westing Game. I was so enamored by the story and style. Then I started to understand the power of 

crushes and first loves, and fell head first into Judy Blume's Forever. That book blew my mind. Then came Flowers in the Attic, and Sweet Valley High. Sense a theme?

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What is your day job?

I wear many hats, including communications executive, small business owner, and most importantly, mom.

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Where do you live?

I am a 4th generation San Francisco Bay Area native, and currently live there with my husband, two kids, and two ridiculously loved cats.

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What do you do in your spare time?

HA HA…spare time. No seriously, when I do have time, I love to read (my TBR is a mile high), listen to music, and binge-watch as many shows as I can. I also love animals, wild and domestic, and in my spare time, work with local rescue organizations, and global nonprofits dedicated to protecting our planet and the creatures that call its land and seas, home.

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When did you write your first book? Did you publish it?

I wrote my first book in 2012. It was the foundation for EVOKE. I published it, but quickly learned it was a Beta and really needed to be refined. It was republished in 2019, and won a Gold Medal in the Reader's Favorite International Book Awards and Top Shelf honors.

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How was that process?

On one hand, it was scary – putting your words out into the world for all to see, was a really humbling experience. I was also vulnerable to feedback and had to learn to grow a tough skin. In my career field, we have to be thick-skinned as it is a fast-paced, highly critical field. But writing….it is a part of you. Your words are from your heart, and soul, and when people criticize your work, it can feel like they are criticizing you. 

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What is your writing process? How long does it take you to write a story?

I am not a planner. I am a total pantser. My books always start with a scene I can't get out of my head. I write it down, usually on my phone, and then start my draft MS from there. I edit as I go. I do not write from beginning to end to get it down. I have most of my idea when I am out and about running around or in the shower and then record them on my phone and translate to the MS. I then thread the book together with the heart. The mood. The theme.

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What is your favorite genre to read?

I love to read all genres. I went through a big YA phase. I really love angsty, small town, paranormal, second chance, enemies to lover books. I am good with spice and closed door. For me, it's the story. 

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What are your favorite type of stories?

I have always been enamored by the idea of love, which means my favorite books have always had a swoon-worthy relationship at the heart. Even now, I am  fascinated by love of all kinds: new, old, young, lost, unrequited, irrevocable, forbidden, enemies to lovers, even friends to lovers. I love a good HFN or cliff-hanger, and love it when my characters get to their HEA. Whether it's a world that exists alongside our own full of fallen angels, demons, and gods, or a fictional, small New England town, I love to create lush worlds and characters we want to root for.

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What’s one piece of advice you would offer to aspiring writers?

Write. It can be a sentence or scene, or even a character's name or some dialogue. Just get it down. Then build from there.