It often depends on what I’m working on. I read fantasy fiction, historical fiction, women’s fiction. I enjoy non-fiction about how people overcome obstacles in their lives and self-help. Any books that transport me to another world, are deeply moving, or just highly entertaining!

My favorite book as a child was How to Eat Fried Worms. As a child, I read anything and often. As a teenager my mother introduced me to Victoria Holt and Phyllis A. Whitney and the Gothic romance. I devoured those books. Marion Zimmer Bradley influenced my love of fantasy and storytelling from a female point of view. My other favorites are Robert Jordan, Stephen Lawhead, Jack Whyte, and Bernard Cornwell. Their dedication to their work, the detailed research, and their creativity amaze me. I love Susan Elizabeth Phillips because she lets humor into some very crazy situations. Her characters are real, hilarious, and I find her books fun and relaxing.

Some books have transformed me and inspire me to write my very best. I listened to Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain after I lost my son, Nick. “What you manifest is before you,” really resonated with me in that I was trying to recreate my life without my first son. I could connect to a plot where a dog could help me get through a tragic loss, since two months after Nick’s death we adopted Zoey who was my grief pal. I just recently read The Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Green, which I highly recommend. I have been revisiting BIPOC authors who have enriched my life like Maya Angelou, Louise Erdrich, Maxine Hong Kingston and have discovered new voices who have had a powerful impact on me such as Angie Thomas, Jason Reynolds, Derrick Barnes, and Elizabeth Acevedo. I highly recommend checking out Layla Saad’s book Me and White Supremacy as well as her Book Club on Patreon. “Her Good Ancestor Podcast & Book Club is creating conversations with change-makers & culture-shapers.”

I love reading. I also enjoy walking my dogs, as well as riding my 2015 Harley gx750 street that I got for Mother’s Day in 2016. I love going to yoga classes, exercising, and spending time with my family and friends.

There are a lot of movies that I have watched more than once like The Princess Bride, A Knight’s Tale, any superhero movie, Men in Tights, 16 Candles, and Johnny Dangerously. But my all time favorite is Dirty Dancing, because it reminds me of the resorts I used to work at in the Catskills where I grew up. I totally could have made that jump into Johnny’s arms!

I like seeing where the words and the characters take me. I very rarely plan what I’m going to write. If a topic interests me, I’ll do some research or free write until a concrete idea forms. I enjoy the chaos and unpredictability of writing and how words affect me. I often have very strong emotional responses to what I write, because my topics hit close to home. I do deeply develop my characters before I start writing. If I’m writing a series, I have learned that it’s better to have some sort of plan so I don’t write myself into a corner before the series is done.

I’m inspired by the characters, thoughts, and stories that pop into my head at any point in the day or night. The possibility that words can positively affect another, entertain them or heal keeps me writing. The healing power of words and the connection I feel to my children when I journal to them inspires me to continually write down what happens in my life and theirs.

Keeping the momentum to get that first draft done. Getting the character’s personalities developed well enough so that I know how they will react in any situation. It’s also very hard to know when the story is finished. Sometimes I think it’s done and once I read through the manuscript, I know there’s more to come. The entire process takes patience and determination to finish.

Much of my writing comes from my dreams. I’ll spend all morning writing a short story I dreamt about the night before. It begs to be written out. While writing Warriors Within, I dreamt of rock warriors in the Cave of the Warrior during Maecha and Kelan’s quest. I also dreamt about Natalie Fischer and her connection to Michaela’s father. Dreams allow my creativity to flow without the interruptions of daily life. I always write down as much detail as I can during my morning journaling.

I don’t tell my readers what to take from my books, because each person’s life experiences affect how they react. I do want them to be entertained, feel hopeful, and get into my books as much as I did when writing them. To be moved or inspired to bring about change is what inspires me, especially in What Makes Them Amazing. My goal was to share these incredible stories and inspire others to keep trying, to give, and to feel emotions that are often pushed aside. It hurts to read about children suffering, but there is beauty and joy in their journeys. I want people to feel the different levels of reading—entertainment, enlightenment, and healing. This sometimes happens all at once or when the reader is ready to receive the message.

Hope. I want my readers to know that when you think life just can’t get any worse or your emotions are so strung out you can’t possibly move another step, there is always hope. I’d like them to be able to connect to my characters and feel enriched by my words. I love when I can’t put a book down and am completely swept away by the story. I strive to be that kind of writer, but I’m always learning and improving.

This series is inspired by my two sons, Nick and Stephen, when they were nine and eleven. It’s inspired by their lives and includes their two best friends, Tyler and Emily, as well as their cousins, Marisa and Alysia. I had started this book in 2007 and used details from my personal journals. I put it aside when Nick was diagnosed with leukemia in 2008. I didn’t come back to it until 2013. I wrote in a fantasy setting, because that is what they loved to read, and it allowed me to delve into the pain and grief that families feel when losing a young person. The theme that no matter what there is always hope inspired me to continue this work.

I have always loved medieval literature and the stories of courtly love and King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. However, it bothered me that women basically didn’t have rights and weren't treated very well. I met one of my best friends, Kathy Lange-Madden, in a medieval literature class. During the last semester of graduate school, I needed three more credits to graduate. Kathy suggested an independent study on women in Celtic literature. I focused on third century Celtic Ireland and fell in love with it. Celtic Ireland was led by a matriarchal society so women were considered equal to men and ruled side by side. I was enamored by the stories of fairy folk and the Otherworld and all the quests and challenges that warriors went through. I wrote my paper on Feminism in Celtic Literature. Even though women were considered strong and equals, they still couldn’t rule in the all-male band of warriors called the Fianna, so of course I had to change that in my book!

I write about strong female characters, but also how men and women can work together in a positive and effective manner. They can respect each other and not feel threatened by one another.

I have always loved martial arts. My siblings and I watched Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris with my dad. He studied Judo. My siblings and I dabbled in a couple forms, but I didn’t really stick with it until Kenpo karate. You could always find a wrestling match happening in our house. Still do! I love the physical and mental challenge of karate. I wrote about martial arts, because I wanted action in my novels and Michaela is the strong, but feminine type who uses karate to help others with discipline and respect.

I journal every day sometimes more than once. It’s more on what is happening during my day or in my son’s life so that he will have a family history when he gets older. I want him to know that he did the same things when his own children act up! We lose so many stories because we aren’t a storytelling culture. I write out my blog posts first, because the act of writing helps me formulate my thoughts. I write it down then simplify. Sometimes that leads to other pieces of writing.

Journaling also helps me solve problems in my writing. If I lose track of a character’s purpose, I may journal in their voice or write out what I want to have happen. Writing it down helps me see the loopholes.

I’m going back to The Fianna Cycles, my young adult fantasy series that will connect to Eibhlin in the completed Puzzle Quests Series. I think Quinn and Mckenzie still have stories to tell with their dragons but those may be spin offs of the series. I always keep possibilities open.

I’m also working on a memoir and journaling nonfiction book about how journaling helped me heal and keeps me on the path of living the life that loves me best. Ideas are always happening so I keep writing them down.