Finding the Grain follows a woman re-entering civilian life after returning from Afghanistan who has her dream shattered when her husband is killed while deployed. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

My husband’s and my dad’s military service both were references for me. We all face our own losses which take away a piece of us: a lost wallet, a loss of a family member or pet, a loss of a job. Izzy is not only dealing with the loss of her husband, but also their dream together, her life in the military, her friends. Being in a new town by herself doesn’t seem to offer healing, either, until she starts reaching out to others. She has no “North Star” and part of her healing eventually will allow her to find that in herself. When we start on a path healing, we can replace the pieces of ourselves that we lost.

Izzy has to adjust to civilian life and being a widow all at once, on top of moving to a new town and trying to rebuild what was supposed to be her dream home and life. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?

I have encountered a great many women who confuse independence with isolation; Izzy discovers that early on that she isn’t as comfortable by herself as she’d expected. Although she is a strong woman, her devotion to the dream that she and her late husband shared keeps her ruminating in the same grief. With each conflict she encounters, including some PTSD situations, she discovers more of herself, yet another step away from Dave’s memory.

With Ben, I wanted to develop his wood-working as a devotion to not only creating something, but also as a roadmap for a life. Using woodgrain to describe how a fault in the wood tells a story and its beauty became a theme for him. He is patient, understanding and pro-active, things that Izzy cannot accomplish initially. His soliloquy when meeting his newborn grandson is his plan for his life as well as his hope for the future.

Tom Biddoe, being a friend who knew both Izzy and Dave, needed to be flawed but with secrets that, once known, allow Izzy to grow. Tom’s impulsivity is an effective contrast to Ben’s patience and Izzy’s growth. He is also a catalyst for Izzy to make decisions toward the self-confidence in her new self.

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

For me, I wanted to focus on dealing with loss as an individual journey. No one person has the BEST way to deal with loss. Izzy’s journey is as heartbreaking as Ben’s and Tom’s, but what they learn separately weaves them together. The pain of loss can cause some to use alcohol, some get “stuck” in the shock and sorrow, some shut down, some talk it through. Each of these characters finds ways to “be the best person you can be” despite and because of the losses each person lives with. Redemption is a difficult road, but also a badge of honor.

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

My next book is about a woman who is stalked. It is written in three parts, which I’ve never done before. At present, I call it Winter’s Turn, referring to that instant when you can feel the presence of spring, of thawing, of change. Being haunted by someone who haunts you, whose unwelcome presence is close to you is like that stagnant winter. We welcome a change for that breath of fresh air that will clear all the old. I’m hoping it will be available in 2025, although it’s still in the rewrite phase, especially with dialogue and tension throughout the book.

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“Denial is a powerful thing…”

Izzy Stark, returning home from her service in Afghanistan, faces a heart-wrenching tragedy when her husband Dave is killed by an IED just weeks before his discharge. The shattered dreams they once shared now burden Izzy alone as she navigates her civilian life in Whistle Canyon, Colorado, where Dave had inherited a home. While Dave’s memory haunts her, new friends like Ben McCully rally to help mend her neglected home.

Fellow soldier and friend, Tom Biddoe, reconnects with Izzy to work on a project. He feels compelled to share long-held secrets about Dave’s death. However, an enigmatic mystery box arriving in the mail forces Izzy to ask more questions, leading her to uncover a truth Dave never wanted her to know.

As Izzy wrestles with Dave’s lingering influence in her life, she learns that, like the growth rings of a tree, she can heal by Finding the Grain.