It's a little odd to be "interviewing" myself, but I can hardly ask my colleagues to answer questions if I'm not willing, right? So here it is. And if you'd like to check out my new release, Keeping the Faith, I'd be delighted.
Which author(s) have inspired your writing? In what ways?
My favorite author is Elizabeth Berg. I love the way she writes about family and relationships and the expert way her characters grow. I often feel like I'm reading about the people in my own life in her books, sometimes with eerily similar details. That is what I hope to one day achieve in my writing.
What subjects would you never write about?
I will absolutely never, ever write a (cisgender) male pregnancy book, and I won't write rape, assault, or incest as erotica. Aside from that, there aren't really topics I'd be unwilling to explore, just maybe not in a traditional way.
Are there topics or issues you wish were more common in books?
"Invisible" disabilities such as chronic illness/pain. I think a lot of people imagine disability as people with something visually obvious, but it isn't always the case. I'd also love to see a wider range of mental illnesses and more books about autistic people. Mainly, I want to see characters who have any of those things without it being an "issues" book.
What is one subject you would really like to tackle in a story?
Believe it or not, in multiple published novels and short stories, I've written exactly one coming out story (a short YA that I published on my blog). I'd like to write about someone like me, who came out later in life after marriage and family. Probably not a romance, and definitely not a "gay for you" story, though.
How do you hope your writing influences other people?
The main theme of what I write is "you are not alone." I want people to know they're not the only ones to go through things and that there is help and people who care. No one is wrong or broken or damaged because of who they are.
Plotter or pantser?
Both! I'm a plantser.
What’s your favorite of your published works?
The one that just released, Keeping the Faith.
What’s on your to-be-read shelf?
I'm currently alternating between Ardulum: First Don by J.S. Fields and Walking on Water by Matthew J. Metzger. Both are exceptionally well-written.
What’s your wake-up routine?
Yawn. Stretch. Roll out of bed and help my kids get ready for school. Yeah, they're teens and I still like making their breakfast and packing their lunches. Sue me.
What superpower do you wish you had?
I really want to Apparate like in the Harry Potter books. So useful.