What are the names of your books? I have five books published right now:
Duty: a novel of Rhynan (novel),
The Mercenary’s Marriage (a novella),
The Crown of Anavrea (novella),
Word and Deed (short story), and
Exchange (short story).
Can you give some short summaries of your books? Duty: a novel of Rhynan - The orphaned daughter of a nobleman struggles to keep her village from starvation discovers she has been sold in marriage to save her cousin’s life. Her
new husband, a man of simple origins seeking peace after years on the battlefield, struggles to adjust to his new life as a titled landowner and husband. Together they must form a marriage of duty and withstand those who wish them to fail.
The Mercenary’s Marriage - In the aftermath of a siege, a mercenary claims a slave girl as his share of the spoils. Marrying her, he works to earn her trust while unraveling a plot to overthrow the king of Braulyn.
The Crown of Anavrea - A man on the run is saved by the sacrifice of a slave woman. In gratitude, he rescues her from her master by marrying her. Together they must face his past and the obligations he wants to leave behind.
Word and Deed - Verity’s father died under suspicious circumstances. Now her half-brother is trying to get rid of her because she won’t stop speaking out against him. Death or an arranged marriage, she refuses to accept the options.
Exchange - She doesn’t know her name or her crime, but she wastes away in prison all the same. A man appears and claims to hold the answers, but can she trust him?
What genre are your books?I write sweet/clean romance. Most of my work is non-magical fantasy that feels like Medieval historical fiction. Though, I do dabble in Speculative Fiction and some non-fiction.
Who is your book’s audience? The target audience of most of my books are late teens and older.
What first inspired your books? Duty: a novel of Rhynan began with the opening line written by someone else and a bit of historical inspiration.
The Mercenary’s Marriage sprang to mind in the form of Darius, the main character, during a rough patch in my life. The novella became a form of writing therapy.
The Crown of Anavrea began while accompanying my husband on a business trip to Germany. I ran out of English reading material. The only books on hand were horror, mystery, and suspense (none of them my genre of choice at the time). I figured if I couldn’t read it, I could write it.
Exchange was written during the time my father went through and recovered from open heart surgery. Keeping the storyline going in my head helped my cope with not being able to be there for him and my family.
Word and Deed was inspired by a picture. But as usual with my inspirations, the story ended up not resembling the inspiration at all.
How long have you been writing, and why did you start? I started writing while still a teen. I didn’t pursue it with consistency until college. Even then, I still thought of it as a hobby and didn’t consider publication seriously. It wasn’t until we struggled having children that I began considering it as a career option.
Where do you write most often? At my kitchen table, the couch in the living room, or a table at the local Friendly’s are my usual writing haunts.
What are your ‘author quirks’?I refer to my characters as real people and express my writing frustrations to others as though I am interacting with my characters. “Dentin is not talking to me. I keep trying to pull his back story out of him, but he clams up.” I definitely make faces when I am figuring out how to describe a facial expression or body motion for a scene.
What advice do you have for other authors? Write, read, edit, and repeat frequently.
What do you do when you lack motivation? Back read what I have written already or read a good author.
What do you most want your readers to know? I love feedback. If you want to let me know what you think, email me. I read and try to reply. Your thoughts matter and might change how I write the next book. I am on
Twitter and
Facebook.
And finally, where can we find your books? Here are some links:
Thank you, Rachel!
