For those new to your work, can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be a writer?

Desperate Forest is my debut novel, so I’m a relatively new author, but like most authors, the thing that made me want to write most was reading. I’ve always been an avid reader, especially as a child (when I had a lot more time for it). Reading from a young age helped me learn to appreciate the art of storytelling, interesting characters, and how it feels to lose myself in a good book.

As a child, I dabbled in writing stories and kept a journal for many years. I’ve always enjoyed making up stories in my head—it’s honestly my go-to activity when I’m bored—and I can often “hear” my characters’ conversations. When I became a stay-at-home mom, I found writing was a great way for me to unwind, recharge, and feel productive after my kids went to bed. I love seeing my stories come to life, and it is so much more rewarding than watching TV.

I started sharing my writing on Harry Potter FanFiction sites, which felt like a “safe” way to get in front of an audience. The FanFiction community is so supportive, and writing there helped me find my voice and polish my skills. It’s also a fantastic way to connect with other writers and get feedback on what I do well (and not so well).

During this time, I returned to an old manuscript I had started a few years back (now Desperate Forest). I was surprised to find I had the bones of a decent story there and decided to set a goal to finish it. Now I have a whole series in the works!

​Can you describe your writing process?

Generally, I am a plotter. I like to have at least a rough outline of how I’m going to structure my story, otherwise, I get anxiety about not being able to finish it. I try to write a little every day, and a thousand words a day is a pretty good goal for me when I’m working on something new. Now, however, my time is split between new writing and marketing.

I write my first drafts directly on my laptop instead of by hand. I like how easy it is for me to make changes and move parts of the story around. I do always have a notebook on hand so I can jot down notes as they come to me, especially if I’m not by my computer.

I do my best planning when I’m busy with other tasks, such as doing dishes, walking, or showering. As my stories come to life, I’m often able to “hear” my characters’ conversations in my head. This helps me imagine scenarios before I write them, and allows me to get a good feel for what my characters would say and how they would act.

​How do you keep yourself motivated through the whole writing process?

That’s a great question because there are so many different steps in the writing process and some of them are definitely more fun than others! The first draft is probably my favorite stage, and I don’t usually have too much trouble being motivated to write then. But when problems do arise, I find that setting a goal for myself really helps.

I recently did this to finish the first draft of the second book in my series (The Jabberwocky Princess).  Some scenes and characters were giving me trouble, so I decided to leave those for the time being and focus on finishing the parts of the story I was certain of. I set a goal to write a thousand words a day for about two weeks, which helped me finish the first draft. Now I’m going back to sort out the issues.

Another good strategy to help stay motivated is to read comments or reviews from readers who enjoy my work and want more. I also sometimes do character development exercises to help understand my characters better. I get excited about characters, so once I “know” them, it’s much easier for me to write them.

Many indie authors are very involved in the proofing and editing stage, and I have to say, those stages can be the hardest to stay motivated during. I’ve talked to other authors who say they never want to read their own book again after going through it so many times, and I completely understand!

One strategy I found when I was going through that process was to read my book backward. I started at the end with the last paragraph, read it, then moved up to the second-to-last paragraph. I continued like that until I worked my way back to the beginning. It really helped me catch typos and gave me a fresh view of the story.

Finally, when I’m feeling “stuck,” I have a few methods for getting over that, depending on the situation.

If it’s just a minor glitch like a specific scene or feeling like I don’t know where to start, I commit to writing for at least five minutes. Usually, getting started is all I need, and once that happens, the words and ideas start flowing.

If I’m having serious writer’s block, I do one of two things. One, take it as a sign that I need a break from writing and do something else completely. For example, I take a walk, clean the house, listen to music, talk to someone, or go to the gym. I find that removing myself from my work for a little while, and especially getting physical exercise, really helps me clear my head and start fresh again when the time is right. This is especially important when I feel like I’m suffering from writer’s burnout.

My other strategy is to simply work on another project. This works well if I’m having trouble with a particular scene, or I don’t know where to take my story or how to fix a problem. It can be very helpful to just focus on a new story, then I can go back to the old one with fresh eyes. Usually, solutions come much easier after having a break.

Please share with us what your book Desperate Forest is all about.

Desperate Forest is a fun, romantic adventure. It’s the type of book you can lose yourself in, and it will leave a smile on your face. Desperate Forest is geared toward young adults, but adults will enjoy it as well.

It starts with the heroine, Princess Roselynn, on the run from her uncle who wants to kill her to keep his hold on the throne. She flees to the forest in hopes that she can make the journey to a nearby kingdom where her fiancé lives.

In the forest, she meets a group of outlaws, which is where things really get fun. Not only is Roselynn forced to learn how to “rough it” after her comfortable, royal upbringing, but her presence there causes quite a stir with some of the other travelers. Some of them want to help, some don’t want her there at all, and others don’t seem to be sure how they feel about her.

Most notably, Jay, the young man who first discovers Roselynn in the forest. From the start, the two are at odds—Roselynn is put off by his brash behavior, and he’s wary of her for his own reasons. Roselynn soon finds herself struggling to decide who to trust and just where her heart lies.

What sort of research did you do for this book?

I have to laugh because when I stop and think about it, I guess I was doing research for this book long before I even realized it! Growing up, my sister and I spent a lot of our summers hiking and exploring a woods near our house. We’d spend the whole day up there, talking, reading, writing, and hiking. As I wrote Desperate Forest, I pulled things from my memory to create the forest and scenes.

Besides that, I did some research about the medieval time period. Although, because I’m writing in a fictional setting, I chose to leave some things ambiguous. The book is meant to have a fantasy feel, and while this one doesn’t specifically mention magic, I wanted to keep it open to that possibility for future books.

​What was your favorite part about writing this story?

My favorite part of writing this story was seeing my characters come to life. Besides the main heroine and hero, I tried to write some quirky side characters (some of whom are going to have their own books in the future). These characters were very entertaining to me, especially exploring their different personalities and how they differ from the main characters. Once I get to know my characters, I really have fun seeing how they respond to certain situations.

​Where do you turn for inspiration? Were your characters inspired by anyone you know?

For this particular series, getting outside and in nature helps give me inspiration because so much of this series is set outdoors.

One thing that is unique about Desperate Forest is that I started writing it years before I finished it. The first draft sat on my computer, forgotten and untouched for a long time. When I first started writing it, I was really into the TV show Once Upon a Time, and I think that was initially what inspired me to go with a medieval, fairy tale type theme.

I like to read a lot of different genres, but growing up I always enjoyed fairy tale retellings, fantasy books, strong characters, and a good romance. With this book, I tried to capture a little bit of the essence of all those things. I thought about my favorite authors growing up: J.K Rowling, Enid Blyton, Victoria Holt, Elizabeth Marie Pope, and Regina Doman and tried to channel some of the things I liked about their writing and stories.

I’m going to own up to a very newbie-writer thing and admit that my main character (Roselynn) was inspired a lot by me—although more of me as an awkward teenager than me now. In the beginning, she is a bit naïve and unsure of herself. She’s lived a pretty sheltered life and is forced to go out and survive on her own—even though she doesn’t really know what she’s doing. As the story progresses, we see her grow in her actions by learning new skills, and in her choices by trying to do what’s right for her kingdom and not just for herself.

The hero, Jay, is also somewhat based on my husband with the way he looks and acts, especially his teasing and sarcasm. There’s a line that talks about Jay’s physical description that makes me smile because he’s described as having “a large nose that’s seen a few fights and wore the effects of them.” That was directly inspired by my husband who used to do MMA fighting and has had his nose broken. I think it gives him a rugged charm.

​Is there a message in Desperate Forest that you want readers to grasp?

My main goal when I write is to entertain, but I do always like to incorporate a theme or message into the story as well. For this one, it focuses on the idea of infatuation versus real love. Because I’m writing for teens, I wanted the main character to seem relatable especially in her awkwardness, and at times, naivety. I think most of us can relate to the feeling of being infatuated with the idea of something, versus the reality of it. I tried to shed a little light on that common misconception that the one we think is “perfect for us” isn’t at all, and that our initial judgements of others can be very flawed.

I also touched on the concept of bravery too. People often say that evil is made not born, and I think the same can be said of bravery as well. Of course, it comes more naturally to some than others, but I think it is certainly something that can be developed. I purposely made my heroine unsure of herself in the beginning to allow for growth and to show that anyone can be brave if they are driven by the right reasons.

​If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

I wish I had written more, just for fun. I went through a stage of not writing much at all because I was so busy with other things. I wish I had let myself be more creative, even when I was busy, and written just for enjoyment. I can be a bit of a perfectionist, and I wish I hadn’t stressed out about how “good” my writing was at that age.

​Do you have any writing tips you’d like to share with readers?

When writing your first draft, don’t get hung up on it being perfect—just write! Terry Pratchett said that writing your first draft is telling yourself the story, and I think that is so true. It’s important to get everything out at that point, and then after, go back and edit. Overthinking everything in the beginning will curb your creativity.

​What books are currently in your to-read list?

Romanov by Nadine Brandes is definitely on my radar. I love the mystery behind the Anastasia Romanov legend and history, so I’m excited to try a new take on it.

​What genres will you just not read? 

I enjoy reading a pretty big variety of genres, so there’s not much that I absolutely will not read. The only think I can think of as a definite no for me is Erotica.

​What are you working on next?

So much! I wish I had a thousand hours every day to devote between all my projects. But specifically, I’m working on Book Two in the Forest Tales Series, The Jabberwocky Princess, which draws on Lewis Carrol’s nonsense poem, “The Jabberwocky.” I plan on releasing that in 2020.

I also have several more books for the series planned, and when I get struck by inspiration, I write down scenes and idea for those as well. I plan on releasing at least two more books in The Forest Tales Series and possibly a Prequel novella somewhere in there as well. One of the side characters in Desperate Forest is getting his own book, which I’m very excited about it.

I also have a new dystopian trilogy planned and I can’t wait to dive into that after I’ve written a few of the Forest Tales Series books. I can’t wait to build that world and dive into creating some new characters.

In between my original projects, I still like to go back to Harry Potter FanFiction. I find that it is a good go-to for me when I’m having trouble with my original works and just need to write for fun. Plus, the FanFiction community is amazing, and I love connecting with my readers on there. They will always have a special place in my heart because they were my very first readers.