Welcome! When I sat down to write something, I considered what I would like to know first about an author. The question - What inspires you? - came to mind. The answer tells me if I can connect with what they write. Will their books be a fun ride for me?
People often ask writers how they come up with their story ideas. For me, there’s no one answer. The easiest thing to say is my brushes with the paranormal have influenced me. Ghost hunting in particular. After all, it has landed me in some pretty interesting settings – stately old mansions, haunted hotels, graveyards dating back hundreds of years. Nothing stirs the imagination quite like going “lights out” with a group of total strangers in a notoriously haunted location. (crazy trust exercise right there, folks!) However, I believe my inspiration machine never powers down. Songs, movies, books, dreams…that couple in the restaurant last night (yes, writers are voyeurs) can all spark a story in me.
(Image Below - The haunted Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA)
From there my imagination is off, and this is when I believe we separate ourselves into a particular writing genre. For example, a trip to an antique shop with a writer friend will likely produce very different story ideas. Guaranteed those antique dolls (not a fan) will stir up different impressions for me, the paranormal writer, than they do for a historical writer friend. (I blame my addiction to horror movies and a rotten big brother *wink*) And that lovely two hundred year old church we visit on the way home might inspire a charming wedding scene for my friend whereas I’ll be wondering what it’s like after dark. You get my point.
(Image Below - Nightfall at an old cemetery in NH)
Family dynamics, friendships, pets, and even some spooky history play parts in my stories. Of course, love. Especially the romantic kind and the perilous journey my characters take to achieve it.
For the record…no, my characters are not me (writers get asked this all the time), and yes, there is sex in my books. Hot sex between consenting adults. But that’s an entirely different subject for another day, and you'll have to stop back.
(Image Below - Mysterious mansion in Newport, RI)
So, if you enjoy “hauntingly romantic” stories as my tag line suggests, then you’ve come to the right place. I promise to crank up my "inspiration machine" and do my best to take you on a fun ride.