Before We Move On follows a 14-year-old boy who struggles with losing the people he cares about and facing his own mistakes. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

This novel developed from a short story competition; the prompts were: ghost story, a medical examiner and a bottle. Being a public school teacher for over 20 years, I had seen my share of bullying. For some reason, the opening scene came to me as a “what-if,” and I followed where it took me. Later, I read The Sweet Hereafter by Wally Lamb, and decided to go with multiple perspectives.

In a lot of contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?

I moved to the Catksills in upstate NY in 2019 and learned about how the water is periodically released from dams, so I decided to set my story in my new environs. As a teen, I always felt like I lived on the fringes of popularity, liked and respected, but not a cool kid. I think I put some of that into both Kiki and Jesse. Finally, I was the drama coach for my middle school and saw how important drama was for some of the kids, so I included quite a bit of that in my story. In some ways, drama played a big part in Jesse’s healing.

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

I didn’t realize how many themes would evolve in the book beyond bullying, which was the original impetus. It turns out the importance of friendship and community in overcoming grief and self-forgiveness took over as major themes. It’s all about mental health. I am a strong advocate for people seeking help from a professional when they’re experiencing emotional pain, the same as they would for a physical ailment. There is no shame in doing so, and I wish the stigma our society puts on mental health would change.

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

I didn’t think I would write a second book, truth be told. But, an idea that originated in real life plopped itself into my lap and said, “Write me.” Here’s the premise: You’re about to graduate college when your grandmother dies. After her funeral, your uncle gives you a box of family artifacts because you’re interested in ancestry. In the box, you discover a family secret that throws everything you’ve known about your family into question. What do you do about it?

I can only hope I write and revise it quicker than Before We Move On, which took two years to write and another three to revise and edit. I have most of it planned out and am working on character sketches now. My goal is to have a first draft by summer of 2025.

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