Feral Maril & Her Little Brother Carol follows siblings as they navigate a tumultuous childhood, striving to maintain their bond and survive within the foster care system amidst constant challenges and uncertainty. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Over the course of several years when I was a toddler, my parents decided to become foster parents to children of varying ages. Suddenly adding strangers to an already busy household of six takes a lot of love, but it also takes compromise and adjustment. While my memories of those children are somewhat vague, the memory of what they represented has never disappeared. Marilyn, the main character, came to me slowly over time. After a few years, and in between other projects, she evolved into a person I could visualize and a person I wanted to save. Not only because she represents all of the lost children in the United States (and around the world) but because of her bravery. I wanted to create a young girl who is unassuming, but with enough guts to do what she has to do to save her sibling, who, as it turns out, is in a worse situation than she. I do not have my own children, and Marilyn morphed into, perhaps, the child I never had.

How did you approach developing the characters of Maril and Carol, especially in ensuring that their growth and experiences felt authentic?​

I fell in love with Marilyn right away, and she led me to Carol. I tried to see both of them through each others’ eyes, while keeping the story in Marilyn’s perspective. I read diaries of former and current foster children (gut-wrenching stories) and I used those feelings to make the story authentic. Every one of us has known a foster child; many of us just don’t know it. They are in every school, in every Wal-mart, in every corner of the American fabric. You really don’t have to look far to find those hopeful faces, the ones that aren’t part of a family but yearn to be. They just want what every child wants: stability and a loving home. I wanted Maril and Carol to be a team. To go through their trials together. To find “home” together.

What do you hope readers take away from the story of Maril and Carol, and what discussions do you wish to spark with this novel?​

Honestly, I hope that some people who read the book will decide to become foster parents. I can’t wait to visit book clubs, libraries, and schools to share the statistics I uncovered while writing the novel (some of them are listed at the end of the book). I want people who read this book to understand that not every family is the same, not all children have the same privileges as others, and most parents are simply doing the best they can. I want readers to remember Maril and Carol the next time they see a child who looks like he or she could use a friend; to be kind to that child because one never knows what they are going through; to treat each child with care and kindness, no matter what.

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

I am an author of seven published books, across many genres. Currently, I am working on an historical fiction novel that spans from 1950-1969. Very specific dates, for a reason! It’s so much work, but it’s fun doing the research. While I work on that book (three hours a day, four days a week), my agent is busy shopping another book to publishers, with fingers crossed. Up until now I am independently published, so we are hoping to get a traditional contract. That particular book is super long and somewhat dark. But it would make a really cool streaming series, so here’s hoping!

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website