The Ties That Bind follows a woman who is struggling with a horrifying family secret, a shocking revelation about her father, and a growing attraction to the local deputy. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

I wanted to write a story incorporating therapy animals because I believe the unconditional love of an animal is very healing. The crux of the story grew around that premise alone. My heroine did not act appropriately a lot of times because of how she was raised and she never understood the inner workings of her dysfunctional family until their father died and secrets came to light. Her aunt helped her get past some of her awkwardness and rebellion by pairing her with a therapy horse. Because I write romance, I needed a love interest and, in this case, one who was willing to accept her as she is and not expecting her to change.

Shiloh Ferguson is an intriguing character with emotional depth. What were some driving ideals behind her character’s development?

I really wanted to have a tomboy heroine who wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty in a fight. I think more women need to learn how to defend themselves and to stand up to bullies. Shiloh was always a scrappy girl who preferred the company of boys to girls and she never backed down from a challenge no matter how misguided. Her failure to connect with women is revealed in the book so I don’t want to give away any spoilers.

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

The need for human connection was always foremost in my mind when I was writing this story. I used therapy animals as a way to demonstrate that we all need a human connection from time to time. This story developed into a “lesson” in how failure to physically connect ripped a family apart and while it is difficult to overcome, it can be done with time and patience.

Also the importance of family and accepting yourself for who you are were interlaced throughout the story.

What can readers expect in book two of your Family Ties series?

More of the same type of personal growth and healing after being in a very deep dark place. The heroine in Book 2 of this series has been a victim of neglect and abuse her entire life and the story follows her journey to happiness and love. Book 3 explores the guilt associated with losing a loved one to suicide and learning how to cope with not only the loss but the psychological entanglements of survivor’s guilt. Because I write romance, both books promise a happily-ever-after.

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