When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I fell in love with words in high school, when my teacher Mrs. Opal Vickers told me that what I wrote mattered. That moment stayed with me for decades. Life got in the way for a long time - raising kids, working, just surviving some years - but the stories never stopped. They just waited until I was ready.
What made you finally take the leap and publish?
Insomnia, honestly. I've always been a night owl, but when sleep wouldn't come, I started filling those hours with words instead of worry. One night became a hundred nights, and suddenly I had a book. My husband has always been my biggest supporter. He never once said my dreams were too big - only "tell me more." Having someone believe in you like that changes everything.
Why do you write such dark stories?
Because real people live through dark things. I don't shy away from difficult subject matter because pretending it doesn't exist doesn't make it go away. I write for readers who grew up in homes that looked fine from the outside but hurt behind closed doors. If you spent your childhood afraid in a place that was supposed to be safe, I want you to know: it was not your fault, and you deserve a life that doesn't hurt.
Your books deal with trauma, but they're not hopeless. How do you balance that?
I call them "dark stories with bright hearts." The darkness is real - I won't sugarcoat what my characters go through. But survival matters. Healing matters. I want readers to close my books feeling like they survived something alongside the characters, not just watched it happen. I want them to feel haunted in a good way - comforted that dark stories can still have hope in them.
Your protagonists often discover something unexpected in themselves. Is that intentional?
Very much so. I'm interested in what happens when someone who has been told they're broken, or crazy, or too much, finally stops apologizing for who they are. Sometimes that's beautiful. Sometimes it's terrifying. Usually it's both. I think the most honest stories hold both truths without flinching.
What does your writing process look like?
Late nights, a lot of Dr. Pepper Zero, and a house full of dogs who think they own the furniture. I have two Australian Cattle Dogs, Ruger and Stormy, and two schnauzers, Jay Jay and Molly. They keep me company during those 2 AM writing sessions. I write until my eyes won't stay open, sleep a few hours, then read what I wrote and figure out if it's the story I want to tell or garbage. Usually somewhere in between.
Tell us about your family.
I'm married to my high school sweetheart. We reconnected in 2011 after years apart, and he's been my anchor ever since. I'm the proud mother of two children and their spouses, and I love them with all my heart. But my grandchildren - they're the light of my life. They call me "Mamoo," a name the oldest one chose, and it stuck. Those kids taught me the true value of stories. Watching their faces during storytime reminded me why I fell in love with words in the first place.
What do you do when you're not writing?
I've watched Days of Our Lives since I was a little girl sitting with my great-grandmother. Still watching it to this day - that's decades of Salem drama and I'm not ashamed of it. I also quilt - there's a rhythm to it that feels like writing in a different language. I garden and grow my own vegetables. And I read everything I can get my hands on. I've always been a reader first.
You describe yourself as private and shy. How do you handle connecting with readers?
It's funny - in person, I'm very quiet. I've always been more comfortable listening than talking. But online? I love connecting with readers. There's something about the written word that feels safer to me. Maybe because I've spent my whole life trying to get the words right. When a reader reaches out to tell me a story meant something to them, that's everything. That's why I do this.
Any advice for aspiring writers?
Write the story only you can tell. Don't wait until you feel ready - you'll never feel ready. Don't wait until it's perfect - it'll never be perfect. Just write. Fill the pages. Let yourself be bad at it until you're not. And find the people who believe in you, the ones who say "tell me more" instead of "be realistic." Those people are everything.
What's next for you?
Kindred comes out in March 2026 - it's about a horror novelist who discovers someone believes her fiction is actually confession. Then Still Beating in July - a twisted story about obsession, grief, and a heart transplant recipient who wants more than gratitude. After that? I have more stories waiting. They've been patient long enough.
What do you want readers to know?
If you picked up one of my books and saw yourself in the pages - the fear, the doubt, the survival - I wrote it for you. You're not alone. And you're stronger than anyone ever gave you credit for.
Have a question?
I'd love to hear from you. If there's something you've always wanted to ask, send me a message and your question might appear here.
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