What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Swoon?
Swoon is a complete standalone with no reading required. That said, the hero is a character who’s been a beloved side character in several books, and my readers have been literally begging me to give him a story of his own.
What’s your favorite scene from your new release, Swoon?
It’s so hard to pick, but one of my favorite scenes is where the heroine gives the hero the most epic (and well deserved) ass-chewing in the history of time. It’s lengthy and honest and spot-on and rocks his world.
If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?
Dave Grohl is a living legend, an incredible human, and a fantastic storyteller. (Storyteller, by Dave Grohl)
What romantic couple from literature makes you swoon? Which one is over-hyped?
The one that makes me swoon like none other is one a whole lot of other people would surely pick, as well: Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. I cannot get enough of these two and swoon, swoon, swoon even thinking about them. Some would say they’re overhyped, perhaps, but I would reply that’s impossible.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
My favorite genres to read are memoirs, psychological thrillers, and of course romance. With memoirs, I love the deep honesty, self-reflection, storytelling, and humanity implicit in the genre. With thrillers, I love the twists and turns and the element of surprise. And with romance, I love the love story and happy ending. I don’t read in
my genre while writing. But I love devouring romances in between books.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.) Where did you write Swoon? (your couch, a coffee shop, a bar… hey – we won’t judge)
I am very boring these days. I write in my office, at a desk, with a fresh water bottle and fresh flowers in a vase.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
It’s cliche, I know, but I read a Plato quote that said (I’m paraphrasing here) there are two things you should NEVER be angry (or anxious) about: a) that which you cannot control, because if you can’t control it, why worry? And b) that which you CAN control, because if you CAN control it, why worry? It really put things into perspective for me. I’m not a huge worrier, anyway, but it made me realize it’s best to put your head down, do the work, and not worry about what comes next, good or bad, if at all possible.
