How long have you been writing? And have you always wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always been a writer… I can remember being a little girl and writing stories to entertain all my friends. Of course, I don’t think I’d share the type of books I write now with any of my grade school chums. LOL. Professionally, I’ve been writing for just over two years, and have had about six books published in that time.
To date, what has been the best advice or words of encouragement you've received?
Probably something my father told me once. He said “reading allows people to forget the troubles in their lives and just find joy in the story. As an author, you get to bring happiness and comfort to those who need just a moment to relax.”
I’ve never forgotten that and it inspires me to continue writing…. Of course, looking at it now, I think my dad might have stolen his advice from a fortune cookie or something. LOL
What are three things about you that would surprise yours fans?
- I’m probably the shyest, most soft-spoken person they’ll ever meet in “real life”.
- Every pet that has appeared in one of my books is actually based on my own pets and those of my family members.
- I have over thirteen different kinds of tea in my kitchen pantry…. And I haven’t tried half of them. For some reason, every time I go to the grocery store I always pick up a box!
How do you name your characters?
It really depends on the character. If the story is in a more contemporary setting, I actually have a harder time naming my characters then I do if it’s a fantasy story. I tend to look online at baby name websites for inspiration. LOL
What genre(s) do you write? And why?
Well, I write M/M romance, so tend to cross into every genre. I write contemporary, paranormal, science fiction, and even a bit of mystery. I never really plan for one of my books to fit into a certain genre, it just sort of happens while I write.
But if I had to pick one, I’d say paranormal is the one genre my books fit into the most. I love the mystery and magic involved with shifters, vampires, witches and ghosts. It’s my favorite genre to read, and now my favorite one to write in.
Who inspired you to write? Favorite author or teacher perhaps?
I had a teacher back oh so many years ago when I was in third grade, named Ms. Fuller, and she always encouraged us to read every night. I remember how she used to let us write short stories about the characters in the books we were reading (sort of like a continuation of the story),and she encouraged us to write to our favorite authors.
I can’t remember exactly whom I wrote too, but I remember the story was called The Crane Girl. I’ll never forget how excited I was when I got a response back from the author. The moment I wrote my first short story for Ms. Fuller’s class and heard back from one of my favorite authors as a child, I knew what I wanted to be.
I wanted to be an author.
When not writing, where can we find you?
If I’m not busy writing, I can usually be found reading. When I’m not reading, then I’ll either be outside in my little garden puttering around or in my kitchen, canning and preserving the various fruits and veggies out of my garden.
I’m pretty simple and easy to please.
List your novels/articles (and if you have links to them).
Coming soon from Silver Publishing:
The Beast’s Promise (Outside the City #2) -March 24th
Solid as Stone (The Brotherhood, book 1) – July 21st
My latest release is Love’s Crash Landing and here’s a bit more about it! *winks* Enjoy!
Blurb:
What's a simple farmer to do when an alien crash-lands in his cornfield? Try to keep the little guy safe from the government, all while trying not to fall in love with his guest while he's at it. It may not be as easy as he originally thought.
Gavin Howard lives a simple life on his farm, keeping to himself and staying under the radar. That is all changed late one night when a spaceship crash-lands in his cornfield. So what is a simple farmer to do when he finds an injured alien lying in his back yard? Take it inside and care for it until it can "phone home," of course.
But Prince Mi'Kel Ta'Rulen is not what Gavin expected. Beautiful, gentle, and on a mission to save his dying planet, Mi'Kel needs Gavin's help for more than just his injuries. Can Gavin help Mi'Kel find the solution to save his people all while keeping the little alien safe from the Earth governments hunting him?
Gavin finds himself falling in love with the being from outer space, but can he find it in his heart to let the little alien go when Mi'Kel's ship is finally fixed? Or will Mi'Kel's secrets drive them apart when the alien needs his farmer the most?
Excerpt:
Gavin Howard jumped out of bed the moment he heard the sound of the crash.
He'd been sleeping soundly, exhausted after a day of planting crops in the field behind his small farmhouse, when a loud boom shook the house down to its foundation and a blinding flash of light lit up the entire room.
Jerked from a pleasant dream involving two male belly dancers and a lot of whipped cream, Gavin opened his eyes as his befuddled brain struggled to catch up. Glancing at the clock, Gavin groaned when he saw the glowing red numbers read 2:17am. Lights shone from his backyard, just visible through his bedroom bay window. The red and orange flickering moved hypnotically and beautifully. It took a long moment before he realized what he saw.
Was that--? Holy shit, my backyard is on fire!
Before he even realized he had moved, Gavin jumped out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans over his half-hard cock, not bothering to do up the buttons completely. He grabbed his shotgun and charged down the stairs like a herd of buffalo were after him.
Before he even reached the kitchen and back door that lead outside, Gavin heard his old Blue Heeler, Bo, going wild, barking like a demon-possessed hound. The dog threw itself at the screen door again and again, blocking him from getting to the backyard and only quieting his howls to whimpering and whining when he spotted his beloved owner rushing into the room.
Gavin grabbed a flashlight from below the sink, patting Bo's head as he went by.
"S'okay boy, I got it." He opened the door, then turned back to push Bo back into the house when the mutt tried to slip between his legs. "Stay, Bo. Stay!" he commanded, not wanting to put his dog in danger until the backyard was safe. He shut the door, taking a deep breath to ready himself to face whatever had disturbed his sleep so violently.
Gavin turned, prepared to face the issue at hand.
And promptly dropped the flashlight he held.
"No way..." he muttered, staring in disbelief at the scene before him. He couldn't reconcile what he saw with what his brain knew had to be possible. He looked around. Nope, no cameras or microphones anywhere to be seen. Bo still whined from inside the house. Gavin gave himself a little pinch on the leg with his one free hand and hissed at the sharp, bright pain blossoming on his leg. Well, he wasn't dreaming, which meant what he was seeing had to be real.
The scene before him seemed impossible, unbelievable.
Gavin just stood there, stunned, gun hanging from limp hands, mouth hanging open.
What the hell is going on?
No way could there be a crashed spaceship sitting in the center of his cornfield.
Pulling together his now-tattered courage, Gavin reached down to pick up the fallen flashlight, and then carefully started to approach the smoking wreckage, gun ready to shoot at the smallest sign of movement. Times like this, he was glad his military training gave him enough experience to keep himself safe as he approached a possible danger zone. His eyes were trained on the sky, for what, he didn't know--more ships maybe?
Because as much as he wanted to deny what he was seeing, there was no doubt about it; he was definitely looking at a large silver spaceship.
The ship didn't seem to be much taller than his tractor but definitely appeared wider; at least twenty feet across in an almost disk shape. The smooth sides shone silver, with an iridescent sheen that probably served as camouflage while the ship flew. He'd seen a weak rendition of just that type of thing years before while he'd been on special assignment in the Marines. Although, what he saw back then didn't even begin to compare to the stunning object before him.
The fallen ship gave off a thrumming feel, vibrating deep in his chest with a low hum, almost like when the next door neighbor played a bass guitar in his garage. Gavin could still remember those days from back when he lived on the base. He knew there was sound coming from the amplifiers, but it was too low for him to actually hear. He could feel the static energy and vibration on his skin, but no sound could be heard.
All of the sudden, Gavin realized that what he was seeing might be real. As a kid, he'd always been a comic book fan and loved the old Star Trek TV show. But never in his life could he have imagined something like this.
Hot damn! He had a real live flying saucer in his backyard.
From now until April 30th, we are looking fo more entries to the contest. 
