Hot House is the story of Mari E.’s adventure as a private investigator. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

I love stories about corruption, because at the heart of them are always stories of broken trust and secrets, and secrets have so many juicy different layers, and so much power. So the original idea was someone investigating the blackmailing of a federal judge, which is pretty high profile. Then the investigator, Mari, was targeted, which was an indicator that she was getting close to a truth someone wanted to protect.

Mari and Derek are interesting and well developed characters. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?

Facing fears, building trust in relationships, hiding from the past, and family connections

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

Lost and found was a theme I explored – lost family members as Mari’s father has been missing for the past two years and that creates the backdrop mythology to her personal story.

Personal safety is another theme – Mari was shot in the line of duty when she was a CIA operative, chasing a formidable adversary that still haunts her now. Jacques Martel is the antagonist that propels the story forward through all three books in the series – he’s her nightmare and her nemesis.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

Books 2 and 3 of the E&A series are complete and I’m now working on a new standalone thriller. I’m not sure yet whether the next published book will be Book 2 in the series, entitled “Salt Island”, or the standalone thriller. But I hope the next book will be available end of 2022 or early 2023.

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