Falling in Southport follows a young woman from a prominent Chicago political family who falls for a charming yet manipulative athlete she meets in college, who is hiding dangerous secrets. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I actually built the story around the coat. I myself had been living in the same Chicago neighborhood and realized that wherever I went, women were wearing my identical jacket, albeit in different colors. Being nefariously inclined, I then thought, how would one use this to commit a crime? The premise for the murder was created and I built the characters around it.

What were the morals you were trying to capture while creating your characters?

A big part of this story is about the resilience of family and that sometimes, no matter how much you try not to rock the boat, bad things happen to good people. It’s in the most trying situations you realize who you can count on in your life, and for me, that has always been my family. I wanted Abigail to have that same solid foundation that she could turn to when her life fell apart, no matter if they had condoned or condemned her previous choices.

How do you balance story development with shocking plot twists? Or can they be the same thing?

I try to plan out the kind of plot twists I’d like to see and the spacing within the novel. I then build the scenes in between. I like doing it this way because I’m always surprised at the way the scenes unfold, with characters doing unexpected things to take us into the next phase of the novel.

What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?

I am busy editing my new novel. The working title is The Arrow’s Reckoning.  It’s about a young woman, Lizzie, who moves back home to a small resort town to take care of her dying mother. She meets a wealthy, new family who’s built a mansion nearby and gets swept up in their family dynamics, particularly the intrigue involved in holding on to their company. This book is near and dear to me. A lot of the novel is about coming to terms with her mother’s impending death and finding your place in a world that’s changing. I started writing it after my own mother’s sudden passing and it was a cathartic way for me to examine my own feelings.  Hopefully, it will be out in the early half of 2027.

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