I grew up in Central Jersey, and studied Theatre Arts and English at Monmouth University. (Going to college right next to the beach? Hell yes :D) My dream has always been to make a profession out of writing, so I moved to NYC five years ago and have been working my butt off to make that dream come true ever since. Right now, I'm living on the Upper East Side with my darling fiancé and our corgi, Frodo. (Bit of a lit nerd, what can I say?) All of my friends get such a kick out of my "survival job," but I don't really see my writing as a day job at all--it's way too fun for that!
These books are truly a labor of love, and I'm so happy to share them with you. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them!
Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook (Hearts Collective page)
1. How and when did you get started as a writer?
I’ve been making up stories my entire life, but definitely started in earnest once I hit high school. Instead of paying attention in class, I’d be making plot outlines in the margins of my math notebooks. I didn’t really fit in with my hometown, so writing was my escape—the place I got to be uninhibited, and adventurous, and bold. It was actually my AP English teacher who pulled me aside and told me I should study creative writing in college—and I did just that!
2. How do you usually find your ideas?
Usually, I take a scene I’ve lived or witnessed and use it as an igniting spark. Conversations I’ve overheard, people I’ve known, relationships I’ve been a part of (or wished I’d been a part of!). I love building big, passionate stories from real life events. It’s a bit of wish fulfillment, to be honest.
3. Where do you write from? (home, office etc.)
Most of the time I write from home. More than once, I’ve gotten myself a little, ahem, worked up while writing—not exactly something you want to be going through at the neighborhood Starbucks, right?
4. How long does it take you to write a book?
I usually write a new book every two months. I like to keep up with my readers’ appetites!
5. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
When I’m in full writing mode, I spent about six hours a day drafting, writing scenes, and editing. The most wonderful thing about this job is that I don’t feel drained by it at the end of the day. After a day of romance writing, I’m still totally energized to go out in the city, explore other passions, or indulge in some self care time.
6. Do you have any suggestions to help become a better writer? If so, what are they?
My biggest suggestion is to observe the people around you. Listen to conversations in line at the bank, or at the store. Study people. All of my books are just about two people who see something singular in each other—so I spend a lot of time figuring out what’s singular about the people around me!
7. Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?
As a child of divorce, I thought for many years that romantic love was out of the question for me. I went through most of my high school and college years thinking that I just wasn't the sort of person who was ever going to understand all that. But let’s just say that living in NYC as a 20-something cured me of that conviction pretty darn quickly.
8. What is your greatest weakness?
Trying to do everything myself! Being an indie writer, I have a lot of flexibility to do things my way. Sometimes I have trouble letting other people take the reins.
9. What is your greatest strength?
I’ve always been a very justice-minded person. I’m constantly trying to expand my horizons and empathize with other points of view. It’s not always easy, but definitely worth the effort.
10. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
To be perfectly honest, all I wanted to do as a child was tell stories for the rest of my life—so far so good!
Quick Q&A
1. Favorite movie. Almost Famous
2. Favorite website. Refinery29
3. Favorite color. Mint
4. Favorite book. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
5. Favorite country. Spain—especially the Basque region!