The Weird Girl explores the collision of opioid addiction, privilege, and teen vulnerability through the intersecting lives of a foster teen, a sheltered girl, and a weary social worker in a small town. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

When I completed The Orchid Tattoo, the first Georgia Thayer novel, the characters lingered. I wanted to explore what happened to them after the trauma of exposing the human trafficking ring. Tessa and Georgia had more to tell me. Their relationship evolved, each dealing with their own struggles, and I enjoyed diving into that.

The fentanyl issue in our country has haunted me for years, and I don’t think we pay it enough attention. As a social worker/author, I use my novels to examine social issues. In The Weird Girl, I wanted to put a human face on the opioid crisis. What drives people to seek out this drug? What role does basic greed play in its manufacture and distribution? I may not have the answer, but I do believe that having a deeper understanding will help us find one.

Tessa’s voice is incredibly raw and compelling. Was she based on someone you’ve known or entirely fictional?

I worked as a therapist for years. No, Tessa isn’t based on a particular client, because that would unethical, but her experiences as a trafficking/trauma survivor are similar to a hundred stories I’ve heard in my office and in my advocacy. Once I began writing her in The Orchid Tattoo, she came to life for me. (Being a writer is an odd process, to say the least.) The same is true of Georgia Thayer. So while they are both fictional, I feel like they’re real, and I enjoy knowing them and watching their growth.

How did you approach portraying addiction and trauma so authentically?

I’ve had a great deal of training in addiction and trauma treatment, but honestly, I learned the most from my clients. I’ve watched so many undertake the hard journey of recovery. They struggle, they succeed, they falter, and they start again. Watching that process and doing all I can to support it is what resonates for me about being a social worker. And as an author, if I could impart some of what my clients have taught me through my novels, then I’m satisfied.

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

I’m revisiting an old project tentatively titled Bird on Limb. It’s crime fiction told through braided stories of struggling artist, her famous author mother (who battles dementia and other health issues), and the biracial half-sister she never knew existed. Throw in art forgery, an unsolved hate crime from the 1960s, and a mysterious artist who may be the center of it all and you get an idea of this wild project. I hope to complete it early next year.

And then there’s the third Georgia Thayer novel that keeps dancing around in my brain. Apparently, Georgia and Tessa have even more to tell me.

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