Tell us a little about yourself and your work. 

While I am a wildlife biologist by trade, I hung up my field notebook years ago to raise a family and dive into the world of writing. Although many of my short stories are inspired by my biology days, my latest novel, Seeking Sasha, was influenced by years of moving from town to town for my husband’s work. Like Sasha, I had to adapt to each new community, often reinventing pieces of myself and discarding parts that no longer served me. When not wringing tension from my characters, I love to bake, bird-watch, travel, and create maple syrup from my backyard trees in northern Ontario, Canada.  

What sparked your idea for your novel? 

I was on a solo writing trip working on another novel. One evening, while I was writing at the hotel bar, a guest from Chicago started chatting me up. He asked my name, profession, and what I was working on, and it dawned on me—I could tell him anything, and he would be none the wiser. I told him only truths, but this moment was the inspiration for a character who uses false names and fake backstories.  

How did you develop your characters? 

I revised and edited Seeking Sasha many times, and with every pass, my characters became more layered and real. Sasha’s character is born from pieces of myself, only hugely exaggerated. I borrowed from my experiences moving from place to place, and much of my struggles with anxiety are reflected in Sasha’s character. When creating Cole, I wanted him to be a protector, yet blind to the help Sasha actually needs. Whether Sasha, Cole, or someone else, I try to put myself in a character’s shoes before writing their scene or their perspective.  

Was your storyline something that you envisioned from the beginning, or did you build/change it as you wrote your novel? 

Although I had a loose idea of where my novel was heading when I started out, characters walked onto my page unexpectedly or made decisions I never saw coming. I’ve learned to lean into these kinds of surprises while drafting, as some of my favorite scenes stem from these unplanned moments. My storyline also morphed during revisions, with chapters added, deleted, or turned inside out.  

How have you built your audience? 

I started from nothing and reached for the stars. When I decided to get serious about publishing my work, I created several social media accounts, and I’ve uploaded and interacted with posts across my socials at least once per day without fail since 2019. Consistency has been my ally, as is reflected in the over 50,000 followers across all my platforms. I’ve also learned the value of networking, and I’ve made amazing connections at conferences, book clubs, retailers, and online. 

Portions of this Q&A were edited for clarity.