Category Archives: Interviews
A Broader Canvas
Broken centers around a shapeshifter plagued by the chaos of living as a human and enduring her own lost sense of self. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I have to admit that my own experience has partly led to Alira’s story. While I don’t have dozens of voices in my head (other than the characters in my stories, that is), I always felt like an outsider among those around me. It took me many years to find my tribe, and to reach a place in my life where I felt I could be myself and not struggle to fit in.
I’ve known many others like this, and it’s hard. For all of us. Struggling to be the kind of person you think others expect of you can be soul-draining. That’s what started Alira’s tale for me. From there, it took off on its own.
What is it that draws you to the science fiction genre?
I like science fiction because it allows me to stretch reality in ways that drive home the point of the story. I feel like The Founder’s Seed books could also be called science fantasy, since there are elements of it (the harvesting of souls, for one) that can’t be supported by science. But these genres expand the boundaries of what is possible or probable, and allow the reader a greater leeway for suspension of disbelief.
My stories usually ask big questions; so far, science fiction and science fantasy have both offered a broader canvas for that work.
Do you have a favorite character in The Founder’s Seed series? One that his especially enjoyable to craft?
Of course, Alira is my favorite. She’s me in so many ways that count. She’s definitely the hardest to write, but also the most rewarding.
A very close second favorite is Botha; he’s a joy to write! Putting myself in his head, so that I can write him with authenticity, is always fun!
Where will the next book in the series take readers? When can we expect to see it released?
The next book, Driven, picks up where Broken left off; it gives a closer—and thoroughly raw—look at the new antagonist, Knøfa; follows Alira’s journey through her time with Botha, and what comes after (no spoilers!); settles Thrace/Galen in her/his role; and sets the threads for the follow-up trilogy that is already in the works.
Driven was released in late June and is now available for readers.
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To make matters worse, the harvests of knowledge and memories she’s gathered from the dead aren’t adequate to fully understand her assumed role—unless she surrenders control to the one internal voice she thinks can make things right. But that harvest isn’t willing to share the space in her head, and soon Alira is no longer sure which voice is his, and which is her own.
Galen has vowed to help Alira succeed and follows her increasingly unbalanced directives, until he realizes that her harvests have corrupted her conscience, maybe even her sanity. Galen has never been a leader. But as the crisis screams toward them, he must make a choice: abandon their people to save Alira or sacrifice her to save them all.
Romantic Renderings
The Empathy of Rain is a lyrical collection of poems that uses rain, in all its moods and forms, as a mirror for human feeling. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?
When I finished my first book, Turbulent Waves, which explores the human condition under conditions of emotional turbulence (think of the global pandemic and the change in American politics), I wanted to move away from turbulent conditions to one more in step with nature, so I picked the various forms of rain as a conduit for the empathy that surrounds us.
How did you decide on the themes that run throughout your poetry book?
This was actually the easy part; as I used all of the various types of rain as the overall themes, and once I had my content, I matched each poem to the specific form of rain, including “coronal rain,” which is rain that falls onto the photosphere of the sun.
Do you have a favorite poem in the book, and if so, why does it hold special meaning for you?
“Melancholy’s Ghost”
January’s angel touched me with an afternoon kiss
As she spied Melancholy’s ghosts dining on my mind
Like lost desert rain that never finds the ground here
She weeps as they huddle together waiting in the sky.
We met one day as a lover’s glance bid me farewell
You will learn to sleep with me as my dreams are yours
And as the days fall in love with years, I will never leave
Let me fill the rooms of your mind with my children.
Her eyes implored, why do you love everyone, darling?
Desert sand covered a blue sky as lips prayed to answer
Yet only the sun could taste my desolate reply to her
Like the rain, my words stolen away by her sweet breath.
Most of my poetry is essentially enigmatic, melancholic, and romantic renderings. If there’s a common denominator that courses through our minds, it’s our emotional dialogue regarding love: lost and found. This poem considers such musings as a ghost of our electricity, which never quite fades away.
How has this poetry book changed you as a writer, or what did you learn about yourself through writing it?
I began writing poetry six years ago when the global pandemic began. It would take me over an hour to write a poem that would work in a Twitter “tweet” back then. Prior to that, I had written software technical documentation for thirty-five years, so I was completely comfortable using language as a tool to express difficult conditions or situations. Since then, I have written 2500 poems, self-published my first book, published #2 & #3 via two publishing houses, and I am well into finishing #4. As I look back over the evolution of my poetry, I can easily see how my thoughts have matured and deepened regarding how to express the enigmatic melancholy that comes to mind when my muse, Calliope, shares a thought. I write listening to music via vinyl records, and it’s the vibe rather than the lyrics that creates the river for my poetic meanderings, and now the entire process takes half the time to complete compared to my initial poems.
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The Dangers of Time Travel
Furniture Sliders follows a former intelligence officer who is pulled back in to discover what has happened to a classified project and the people working on it, which controls time, memory, and identity, and is now missing. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I have always been a fan of both film noir and espionage novels plus I have a tech background and a fascination with quantum mechanics. I wanted to write a story that felt like a 1940s Cold War spy thriller written in noir style—then break it wide open with the addition of speculative science fiction. I had a question: what if you take the characteristics of quantum mechanics such as superposition and entanglement and instead of applying them to atomic particles, you applied them to human beings? To spies? Can you be in two places at once or two timelines at the same time? Firstly, apply the ability to manipulate space and time and then take it even further by playing in panpsychism – the concept that every inanimate object can be sentient. Of course, you would have to have some form of technology to do all of this – the Mirror is exactly that inspired by the one in my hall at home. The title literally came from a box of plastic furniture sliders that were on the table at home with the box looking like a paperback book – Furniture Sliders on the spine! Sliders was a perfect description for agents moving through space and time and their organization is called the Bureau, along with the Mirror, giving the initial tongue-in-cheek furniture connection.
I found Max Calder to be an intriguing character. What was your inspiration for this character?
Max Calder is the kind of character I love; deeply broken but still pushing forward through the fog. It isn’t about a single character or character flaw but about weaving influences together. I guess Max carries echoes of Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe and Graham Greene’s morally ambiguous operatives. He isn’t polished like Bond, but weary, suspicious, and prone to moral compromise – a man affected by the machine he serves. I tried to deliberately write against cliché by grounding him in history and psychology. His gaps, duplications, and doubts reflect not only the dangers of espionage but the fragility of identity itself. Unlike many spy archetypes, Calder isn’t defined by conquest or success, but by survival, mistrust, and fear of irrelevance — hopefully making him come across as human, flawed, and complex. In many espionage novels, agents and spies are unaffected by what they do and are amazing at executing their role. In the case of Max, I wanted him to be very affected. Remorse, regret, and inner demons.
What themes were particularly important for you to explore in this book?
Primarily the consequences of messing with time and how doing so can also mess with you physically, potentially drive you insane and affect your memory while creating echoes or even doppelgangers as time threads overlap. All caused by, or underpinned by, the human-applied characteristics of quantum mechanics. It was important to explore relationships especially between protagonists and antagonists and between espionage agents and technology pitching various spy agencies against each other – even if they are supposed to have great relationships. I also wanted to introduce fictionalized real-life characters to the storyline which in this book includes Alan Turing, Hugh Sinclair and William Stephenson.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
There are two more books coming in the series. Angus Sliders and Cuban Sliders. Angus Sliders is planned to publish on the 15th December. One of the challenges with quantum-based technology like the Mirror is that many want to get their hands on it in many cases for various nefarious reasons. In Furniture Sliders it was the Russians and ex Nazis. In Angus Sliders, Max Calder discovers that some major occurrences in Furniture Sliders didn’t really happen and that MI6 is very involved. Even a fictionalized Kim Philby is involved as is Charles Fraser-Smith who was the inspiration for James Bond’s Q. Max Calder is more and more affected by what the Mirror can do to you. In Cuban Sliders the Russians are back in the game and so is the CIA. Through all of this the Mirror becomes even more difficult to control or destroy. The big question is – can it be destroyed at all or even stopped and who gets to control it? Are there more storylines past the initial trilogy? Yes indeed!
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The Bureau is chasing a secret called the Mirror—a project so classified that even its architects have vanished or been silenced. It’s said to control time, memory, even identity itself. As Calder tracks the Mirror’s echoes across empty safehouses and wartime graveyards, the lines between hunter and hunted begin to blur.
Artemis may be an ally. Or she may be a weapon. And Calder? He may not even be who he thinks he is.
As bodies pile up and truths unravel, Calder must navigate a world where nothing stays still—where every room slides just a few inches sideways when you’re not looking. In the end, he’ll face one impossible choice:
Burn the truth… or become it.
Avoiding the Scam Artists
Seniors vs Crime is a collection of real-life stories set in The Villages, Florida, where elder citizens find themselves targeted by a range of con artists, shady contractors, and even predatory loved ones. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I am an other-oriented person, meaning I tend to care about other people and their situations perhaps more than most people. My career as a wealth advisor afforded me an opportunity to help other people retire. When I retired in 2008 in The Villages, FL. I looked for a way to help people. Seniors Vs. Crime was that perfect opportunity. I wrote the book to provide the elderly with an opportunity to learn about scams and their artists to help them avoid possible harm.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
One of the ideas I wanted to share was how easy it is to be duped by scam artists who credibly seem to care about you. The doctor’s wife, who befriended the Doctor’s patient and then captured the patient’s widow’s entire estate, is a good example.
I also wanted to try to urge victims to report the scam. Many people are embarrassed that they were “stupid” enough to fall for the scam. I wanted them to know that we all make mistakes, but to not report the scam is a bigger “mistake.”
Could you share more information with us about the Seniors vs. Crime program? Is it something that is still running?
Seniors vs Crime in Florida is not only still working but growing every year. It was started by the Attorney General back several decades ago as a speaker’s forum and developed into what it is today… a functioning arm of the Attorney General’s Office fighting scams and harms to seniors. It has offices all over Florida. When a senior is scammed or otherwise harmed, they can come to any of our offices to make a claim. They can also enter a claim online at Seniorsvscrime.org. The claim is entered into our system and resides at both the Attorney General’s Office as well as the local SVC office. My office is located in Brownwood, Florida in the police annex building. Once a claim is submitted the voluntary “sleuths” will begin to help the senior recover their loss.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Seniors vs Crime?
Many seniors feel their loss is irreparable. I want them to know that most of their losses are recoverable.
Creative Non-Fiction
Leftwich Blues/Elfwitch Rules follows twin twelve-year-olds from a broken home who are abducted by the Elfwitch and taken to another world, where they must now find a way to get back home and heal their broken home. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The idea started with the title. I like to make lists of titles from time to time. The title made me think who is Leftwich? Why does he have the blues? Who is the Elfwitch and why is she trying to rule? This image came to mind: a witch travelling through the air with twins she had kidnapped. One twin gets away, but the Elfwitch tricks the other twin into serving her. The escaped twin finds an oppressed people who need encouragement in fighting against the Elfwitch. So, the twin has to lead an uprising against the Elfwitch and try to free the other twin who turned against their original selves.
The idea reminds me of the many Saturday morning TV shows by Sid and Marty Krofft: H.R. PufnStuff or Lidsville plus other portal fantasies or science fiction movies like Alice in Wonderland or Planet of the Apes (the original from 1968, not the watered down remakes/reboots) where a stranger ends up in a strange land and has to keep their identity intact while turning from fugitive to hero/heroine to survive in a harsh new reality.
Your characters are wonderfully emotive and relatable. Were you able to use anything from your own life to inform their character development?
The twins’ first names I borrowed from my cousins. Their last name also belongs to distant cousins. I find that the more real or personal I can make the character or backstory, the more I can dig into it to adapt and change it according to how the story dictates. I was a mental health paraprofessional for a few years (so I have been to family court a few times) and worked at a charitable thrift store as well as conducting a twelve-step program and now I am a public educator. I have had ex-clients as my students and have come to know the families. I understand better the dynamic in households and the problems children bring to the classroom.
My writing has been called “creative non-fiction.” I never thought of it like that, but it’s true as I need a heavy dose of realism in my fiction before I introduce the weird and fantastical.
What themes were particularly important for you to explore in this book?
The idea of twins separated and working against each other and having to reconcile was the starting point. Then it became a study of duality: two sides or polar opposites that feed or synergize entities or issues: tyranny and freedom, good and evil, lies and truth, night and day, family/friends and foes, forgiveness and unforgiving.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
This was written as a stand-alone. However, I am brewing ideas for a sequel (which I would make into a cliffhanger for a duology). That project will have to wait as I have two other current projects I am working on plus I am currently promoting my first collection of short stories: ghostly shudder tales.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Substack
Meaningful Improvement
One Percent 365 lays out a simple but powerful idea: small daily efforts, as little as one percent, can add up to huge changes over time without feeling overwhelming. Why was this an important book for you to write?
To share what I have found to be useful in improving outcomes and personal perspectives in my life. TO break it down to be manageable, no matter the stress endured, real or perceived.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
To show the possibilities and value of applying this to many aspects of our day-to-day living.
What is one thing that people point out after reading your book that surprises you?
That I have revoiced a known one percept concept and shown how applicable it can be to many aspects of our lives besides weight loss and work metrics. Kindness and forgiveness, as applied, appear to impact my readers.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from One Percent 365?
This concept can be tailored to each of us in a way that is palatable and shows a meaningful improvement over time.
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The author takes the reader on a journey to illustrate the possibilities of change that we can examine, address, and begin to make progress one percent at a time, each day. The simplest truth will become evident that each of us can tackle any aspect of our lives and work toward a desired goal with small incremental efforts while making steady, daily gains.
Teaching Respect For Wildlife
Clover follows a curious bunny as he guides children through his daily life, teaching readers how rabbits live, where they find shelter, what they like to eat, and the natural challenges they face. What was the inspiration for your story?
Wildlife in our backyard, especially squirrels and cottontail bunny rabbits. Their antics are fun to watch and baby bunnies are cute just like baby squirrels. We provide nuts for the squirrels and apple chunks and grapes for the squirrels and bunnies. My husband allows for one small clover patch to remain in place just for the bunnies. Truly inspiring.
What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?
It’s important for children to know about wildlife that run through their own yards. Knowing what they nibble on and how they interact keeps children from trying to catch them, or chasing them. Watching them is fine. Nature is always a good thing. Children need to respect these furry animals.
How does your writing process for children’s books differ from writing your romance novels, as far as getting in the right mindset and how you work?
The wildlife in our area inspires me and I always look at my past career as a registered nurse. I choose a critter and a current topic that children need to read and learn about. I used mice in a book about bullies and how to overcome being bullied. I know the start and the end, so I create a story for the middle part of the galley.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
Clover is a standalone book and I’ve released four books this year. I plan to have my next one completed in 2026.
Author Links: Goodreads | X | Facebook | Website
Look Closer
Just a Little Witch, Mostly a Mom is not only a memoir sharing your story of grief, motherhood, and the quiet magic hiding in plain sight, but a reminder to notice the small spells that you cast each day. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I wrote Just a Little Witch, Mostly a Mom because I didn’t want my mother’s story — or the strange, magical details of our life together — to disappear quietly. Grief can feel isolating, but when I wrote it down, it became connective instead. The book let me braid memory, motherhood, and a little magic into something that could outlast me. And honestly, I didn’t want to wait around for someone else to write the book I needed — so I did it myself.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
That motherhood and grief can coexist with humor, wonder, and even irreverence. That it’s possible to feel devastated and enchanted in the same breath. I wanted to show how ordinary objects, pop culture, and family rituals — everything from a backyard Jaws screening to rosemary growing by the gate — carry their own magic. I wasn’t trying to hand out lessons; I wanted to say, look closer, this is what ordinary life really looks like when you let yourself see it.
What was the most challenging part of writing your memoir, and what was the most rewarding?
The hardest part was writing about my mother’s decline with honesty while still protecting the tenderness of who she was. Grief doesn’t have a clean arc, and there were days I wanted to slam the laptop shut and pretend I’d rather be doing literally anything else. The most rewarding part was realizing, as the pages stacked up, that I wasn’t just writing loss — I was writing a legacy. And when early readers told me they felt both seen and entertained? That was the moment I thought, okay, maybe this actually works.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
Permission. Permission to find the sacred in the silly, to laugh even when it hurts, and to notice the everyday magic hiding in plain sight. If nothing else, I want readers to remember that love and loss aren’t opposites — they’re the same spell, just cast differently. And if they finish the book and immediately text their sibling some inside joke from childhood, then I’ve done my job.
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LITERARY TITAN 