Justified Homicide follows a woman with a haunted past tied into a world of crime and betrayal who must confront her past actions within the legal system in an effort to reclaim her life. What inspired the setup of your story?

It was an unresolved part of my previous book in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles. I thought it would heighten the tension of the storyline and force my main character Madison to face her demons and tell the whole truth. Only she and her confessor knew the complete truth.

It seemed like you took your time in building the characters and the story to great emotional effect. How did you manage the pacing of the story while keeping readers engaged?

I wanted to feel Madison’s emotions. I wanted to crawl under her skin and know the terror she felt at the possibility of losing everything. If she went to jail for her crime, she would be separated from the one person she adored above all others-her daughter Anna. Madison worried about losing the man in her life who helped her rescue Anna from Mexico. She had betrayed his trust. What would I do if I lost everything I cherished? I kept tightening the screws on Madison. It makes the conclusion so much sweeter.

What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?

Retirement from my day job gave me the time and opportunity to explore more emotional depth. When I worked for the federal government, I’d be so tired when I finished work, I couldn’t think. My brain was in overload, so I often wrote early in the morning on the weekends when the house was quiet. 

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

Justified Homicide will be published on November 20th of this Year. The only thing I know about next year is someone’s gonna die in or near Magnolia Bluff. I’m going to relax for a couple of weeks and then start preparing for 2025. My new book should be published in November of 2025. I may slip in another book from my Winston Strom Detective series. I had promised fans of that series I would get another book in for them, but time got away from me. That series is action-packed, graphic, and a lot more sexy.

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