Karma Two follows a boy born into poverty who, while living on the streets, gets a chance to change his life for the better and help others in the same situation. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The setup for the story was that I wanted to find a way to keep true to the storyline from the first novel, while giving a voice to many abuse victims I have encountered throughout my actual life. Having lived a life where I endured my own share of abuse, I met many that had even worse abuse than me. I wanted to loosely incorporate scenarios where I had either experienced or witnessed the horrible treatment myself or tell the stories of those I encountered in nursing school on a psychiatric ward or the abused women and addicts I’ve helped along the way. As difficult as the material may be to read, the unfortunate part is that some of these situations have people with real names behind the made-up characters. When I read this book I remember my friends and family and our fight to make a better life from the little we were given to work with. While not everyone made it out, I am honored to tell their stories for them.

AJ was dealt a hard hand in life and he turns it around before setting out to help others do the same. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?

Coming from a life of poverty and abuse it wasn’t a far stretch to imagine a character who, like me, just knew there must be more to life than what he was born into. I knew if I wanted to see change that it would have to start in me. I would need to find a way to forgive my betrayers to push forward on my own new path with a lighter heart. Having been from the scenario I was raised in, I found compassion for those who by choice or the luck of the draw are in less-than-optimal circumstances in life. I wanted to create a character that showed even the harshest of lives don’t have to break you. Within my own healing journey I have found ways to give back to those who are still struggling in aspects of their lives and through this I’ve further continued to heal myself. I wanted to incorporate those traits into my character as well, to give him relatability and compassion for others that the reader would feel is always present.

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

Some of the most important themes I wanted to incorporate within my storyline were: to keep a stark contrast between the two AJ characters, to incorporate spiritual concepts that would intrigue the reader to get them thinking, and bring awareness to several key causes that are dear to my heart as well. I wanted to highlight certain important character traits in my characters such as determination, perseverance, loyalty, generosity, accountability, integrity, hard work, and honesty, to name just a few.

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

I am currently working on a Hospice Children’s Line of sorts that should be starting to be published and ready for purchase by the end of the year. Colleen’s Bereavement Line will be ready before you know it so keep an eye out.

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