Second Chances follows a newly divorced woman and a lonely auto shop owner as they discover that love, forgiveness, and family can still surprise them later in life. What inspired you to center Second Chances on characters who have already lived full, complicated lives?

Henry is the dad of Josh the MMC from my second book, Cutting Losses, and I fell in love with him when writing that book, so much so that I wanted him to have his own love story, complete with a happy ending. And, for Henry, that meant a woman who would appreciate him and who he would allow himself to be vulnerable enough to take a chance on falling in love with her. I loved writing this book because the characters are fully mature. Because they’re not in their 30s, they bring so much more depth to the page. But just because they’re mature doesn’t mean that they don’t also carry the same insecurities that plague younger people.

Henry carries decades of regret and unresolved history. How did you approach balancing his past with his present-day romance with Charlotte?

Henry was kind of the adage that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, because as much as he is interested in Charlotte and pursuing a romance with her, the ties to his past yank him back every now and then. The challenge was balancing him breaking free of those ties while also having him remain true to the kind and caring man he is. Even though he’s been hurt, he still finds the grace to forgive and understand, and part of that is thanks to Charlotte.

Beverley, South Dakota feels like a character in its own right. What drew you to a small-town setting for this story?

I grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone else. Your teacher was also your track coach. Your mechanic was your best friend’s dad. I like the sense of community that comes from knowing your neighbors. Mostly, I wanted to illustrate to people who didn’t grow up in a small town what is was like. I live in Brooklyn, NY, and I want to show the big city world what small town life is like, but also vice versa, when I write about NYC in my books.

The novel blends romance with family drama. How did you decide how much of Henry and Charlotte’s wider family lives to include?

Since I write a series, most of the people included have already been the main characters of previous books or are going to be. There are some exceptions, like the character Ruth, who has never had her own book but has had a chapter (so far) in all of my books. She is brash and outspoken and provides some comic relief or works as the chorus in a Greek tragedy. I want to keep hearing from her! That being said, anyone who has a chapter always is essential to the book and moving the current story forward!

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