When Eagles Roost follows newlyweds Miranda and Cornelius on an Alaskan honeymoon where breathtaking landscapes, wildlife, and the lives of other couples deepen their understanding of marriage, home, and love. What inspired the setup of your story?

The answer is both personal and exciting! First, I’d long been fascinated by Alaska and I’d assembled a thick file of articles, which I’d read for research. Second, I was thrilled when one day I received a call inviting me to teach at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks Summer Fine Arts Camp, which was a fantastic experience. Meanwhile, my husband planned an extensive driving trip for us that began the day after my work concluded. We felt it was both an adventure and a second honeymoon, and I always knew I wanted to write about it.

Alaska feels almost like a character in the book. What research or personal experiences helped you capture its landscapes, wildlife, communities, and history?

As we traveled, I learned so much! Though I’d done a lot of research before our travels, there’s nothing like experiencing a place in person. I worked alongside and also interviewed many long-time Alaskans. It’s a unique place that requires residents to be resourceful and resilient. The weather as well as the length of summer days and shortness of winter ones is a challenge. Having native Yupik students was a joy and allowed me to connect with a local tribe when many members came to see the performance of a play I wrote with my students.

How did you decide how much factual material about subjects such as glaciers, whales, Indigenous traditions, and environmental history to weave into the romantic storyline?

Pace in a story is important, so my rule was not to slow down the action with too much description or research. So, for example, I do describe Kachemak Bay in some detail, but then we see my character Miranda get in trouble trapped under her kayak, so the reader is caught up in action. The narrative switches from passive to active.

Why was it important to show several different stages of love at once, from Miranda and Cornelius’s new marriage to Francine and Will’s commitment and Cedric and Ezme’s fifty years together?

Stories have arcs. In each novel there will be character arcs, that is, beginnings, middles, a climax and an ending for each main character. But there is also the overall arc of the story itself. In this novella, I wanted to present a tapestry that includes three different couples, each at a different stage of life. Collectively, they provide windows into both nascent and mature relationships.

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