Elizabeth’s Mountain follows a mother and daughter as one reflects on their life and past relationships, and one struggles to find the love and romance she has dreamed of like her mom’s. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The inspiration for the setup of Elizabeth’s Mountain‘s story came to me in a dream that followed a phone conversation I had with my ninety-two-year-old aunt. She was living alone in Florida during the pandemic and I could feel her loneliness. One of her granddaughters had just had a baby, but she couldn’t see him during a time when social distancing was prevailing. We talked about her granddaughter who she was close to and hadn’t seen in quite a while and I could sense how much she missed her. I, too, have two granddaughters with whom I am very close and could relate. I also thought about what it must be like to have lived ninety-some years, all that she had seen and lived through, and now going through an isolating time. Coming out of the pandemic, as things normalized again, I went to my laptop and started writing Elizabeth’s Mountain. I’ve always loved Asheville, the Blue Ridge Mountains. I live two-and-a-half hours away and enjoy visiting there often, so the choice of setting was almost an instant one. Coupled with my enjoyment of reading a good romance story, I thought about the generational changes in attitudes and perspectives on dating just in the last one hundred years and realized that while much has changed, love never changes.

What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?

I enjoyed writing about Elizabeth’s character the most because the time when she was a young woman falling in love was the early fifties which is a fascinating time in American history, and because her advanced age carried so much insight into love and life. The character that was the most challenging to write would probably be Jesse since I couldn’t resonate with his conflicts as easily as the other characters. I felt like he needed to be a little self-centered based on how his dreams were thwarted, but wanted to keep him generous and likable.  

There is so much to be said about love in this book. What do you hope your readers take away from your story?

I hope that the takeaway for my readers will be that love can happen when you least expect it, whether it’s first love, second-chance love, or in what seems like the most ill-timed. Whether in times of sorrow, despair, loneliness, or disillusionment, never lose hope. And the deepest meaning of hope is love.

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

The next book I am working on is Lunch Tales – Suellen, which is due to launch on February 13, 2025. A twenty-eight-year-old single female lawyer working at a prominent law firm bonds in a melange of lunch tales with a cadre of coworker friends who find it hard not to love her despite a sassy disposition and rebellious nature. Another emotional-heavy read that will offer inspiration and hope to readers.

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