What is your writing process like?
Chaos! LOL I write two genres. The first is Christian non-fiction, and those always go smoothly, but my clean, romantic fiction is another story! The story line is usually pretty clear, but those characters argue and fight trying to convince me which one is most important! My mind is an active area and if you hear me talking to myself, I'm probably trying to reason with the voices in my head!
How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
I don't worry about reviews. I write for myself and if someone else likes what I wrote, that's terrific, and if they don't, that's life. We can't please everyone and I don't try. I don't like everything I read, but I keep my opinion to myself because everyone should have the freedom to decide on their own and not be influenced by someone else's opinion.
What advice would you give writers working on their first book?
Polish, polish, polish! Watch head-hopping, don't use passive voice, and SHOW your readers, don't tell them. When you think you've perfected your work, put it away for two weeks, then take it out and read it aloud. Everywhere your tongue trips up is where you need to tweak it.
How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?
A dozen or so, I guess. I don't really keep track of what I've written, I try to focus on what's being released next. I like to think I don't have a favorite because every piece of fiction I've written has certain characters and scenes that I love, but... my favorite is CROSS THE LINE. This historical romance is set just after the Civil War during a time called the "Indian Wars." The main characters are Noah, a former slave, and Carrie, the daughter of a former plantation owner who lost everything in the war. The relationship between these two is so sweet and absolutely forbidden! But circumstances bring them together and what follows is not only a love that crosses the line, but a family history that brings that love full circle in a future no one could foresee.
What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! Seriously, I drink a lot of coffee! I also pull up my YouTube app on the TV and listen to Grace For Purpose, Rabbi K.A. Schneider, or to Christian music from Needtobreathe, Third Day, Rich Mullins, or David Crowder.
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
I'd like to discuss the Book of Revelation with the Apostle John, but in this era, I'd like to have lunch with Frank Peretti and James Patterson. I am madly in love with Detective Alex Cross!