Glissando follows a divorced woman who is successful in her career and is ready to try her hand at love again, what she ends up with is two men and some big life decisions to make. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

I was in a community jazz band in northeastern Pennsylvania (I play alto sax) and just like any other group of people, there were relationships formed, wished for, begun and discarded. When love and lust were put against a backdrop of jazz, this became fascinating to me.

Ellie recovers from her divorce and builds a good life for herself before getting involved again. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?

She’s flawed. She knows better, but doesn’t always choose to do the things that will help her evolve. It was important to show a smart woman who was nevertheless stuck in her bad decisions.

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

Longing and limerence; loneliness and companionship; and ultimately, seeking the right, loving partner.

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

Thanks for asking! It’s a noir mystery about a sax player who falls to his death, but the question remains: accident or murder? The protagonist is once again a woman, and she goes to Russia to find a very rare jazz record. Once there, she learns more about the jazz world and what likely caused the death of the sax player. Like it or not, she finds herself involved in the investigation. It’s out in December. Watch this space: https://bit.ly/DebbieBurkeAmazon.

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