I write feel-good, family-friendly, romance novels, and my sweet spot is about 60,000 words.
When did your writing journey begin?
The boring answer is I’ve always written. When I was pregnant with my first child, I got serious about working on a novel from start to finish. Then I started on the next. Now, I can’t stop. Writing is both a passion and a purpose. In telling stories, I make sense of the world.
I love cruising and have always wanted to write a romance set on a ship. In my novel, my heroine, Caitlyn, opens the door to her stateroom and bumps into her ex-fiancé. She’s taken aback and blurts out I don’t know you. He misinterprets the statement, and she leans into the opportunity to pretend she lost her memory of him so she can stay on board her dream vacation. The idea to have the heroine fake amnesia came about after a re-watch of While You Were Sleeping. (Seriously, is there a more perfect romcom? I don’t think so). Sometimes good people make the wrong choice for understandable reasons. When the decisions start to snowball, drama happens.
Do you find inspiration in your own life for your writing?
I’m inspired by a lot of different factors. For this book, I was on a cruise and snuck into a lounge that was supposed to be off-limits to guests (it was used for weddings only). The room was in a fake smoke stack and had a stunning view and gorgeous baby grand piano. That setting inspired a scene in the novel and the story took off from there. I’ve never drawn from my real-life events (too boring!) but the muse can strike in many guises.
Tell us about your experience with the publishing process.
In the past, I’ve self-published. Since 2018, I’ve worked with The Wild Rose Press, and I’ve loved my experience. I write sweet romance (aka like a Hallmark movie) and the parameters can be pretty tight at other publishers. With The Wild Rose Press, I can explore the genre outside of the strict boundaries at other houses and write stories I love. I enjoy working with my editor, Leanne Morgena. I don’t know how I’d go back to self-publishing and lose her invaluable insights.
What’s on the horizon for you?
I’m editing two sequels to Holidays, Inc. also from The Wild Rose Press, hopefully coming in 2021. I haven’t written a series in a while (and a trilogy is like dipping a toe into the water) but found in 2020 I needed to write in my fictional small-town of New Hope, Wisconsin. I also wrote my first Christian romance series which debuts later this year with Anaiah Press. My big goal for 2021 is to write three new standalone projects.
Have any words of advice for fellow writers in the trenches?
Everyone needs an editor, and you’re following your path so don’t compare your journey to someone else’s. These go hand in hand for me. I’ve had a lot of moments of frustration. Very early on, I didn’t appreciate how much every writer has to learn. I wanted to be published now, please. I needed time to grow my craft. Some writer friends picked up lessons I took ages to learn and signed contracts before I did. But I continue to study and am proud of my progress.
What was the most interesting part of the story to research?
I’ve never been on an Alaskan cruise. It’s not just my heroine’s dream trip, it’s mine! I leaned into researching expeditions and found an amazing treasure trove of old cruise videos from the 1980s on Amazon prime and at my library. My family has seen so many travel books on Alaska, they are ready to pack and go on the trip.