Bellocaro follows a teen girl that is trapped on a magical island where she becomes the target for an evil vampire. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

Like many writers, I’m also an avid reader. I liked the idea of creating a new magical world where Skye’s story begins. From an imagination standpoint, there’s something freeing about a fictional world where I’m in charge of the landscape and can alter it ‘at will.’ The island of Sceadu is like a mysterious character in the story. I knew that I wanted Skye to be a fish out of water; a human girl trapped on an island full of supernatural beings, but I muted their powers so that she could feel safe – at least in the beginning. I wanted her to deal with her frustration of being trapped, while still possessing the knowledge that even the supernatural kids were struggling with similar challenges. I knew that by changing the rules partway through the novel it would keep readers guessing, and hopefully rooting for Skye.

Skye’s personality comes out as her relationship with Thatcher grows. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?

Skye’s character is actually a combination of several people I know, people with strong beliefs, some who have been hurt by other people in their lives. Young people who live through that kind of trauma develop a kind of emotional armor. That armor can keep them shielded so they don’t get hurt again, and allows them to develop a no-nonsense attitude. Since they’ve often encountered difficulties or things that didn’t live up to their expectations they can be quite cheeky and wonderfully direct. I didn’t want Skye to be fragile. She’s been a caregiver at a young age, and lived with real uncertainties, she’s got backbone and a dry wit that makes me laugh. It usually takes three passes to write for Skye. One to sketch out the action or dialogue or inner monologue, then a second to give the dialogue or inner monologue some attitude, and the third pass is where I find ways to allow her sense of humor to shine through.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

I wanted the reader to get involved in the mystery and wonder about why Skye is on the island? Will she get home to her mother? The book answers those questions. And I wanted Skye to have a slow-burn romance. Too many novels are filled with ‘insta-love.’ Two strangers meet on page 3 and they’re madly in love by page 6. Bellocaro is not like that. If it was, the book wouldn’t be so long! There’s a mystery, there’s action, and there is a nice romance. One of the things I love hearing from readers is, “Holy cow! I didn’t see that coming.” Or, “Wow, I thought it was going in a different direction and I was so wrong, but I’m glad.” A reader gets bored if they can easily guess what’s coming. I like to set events up like they’re going to go a certain way, to carry the reader along, lull them into thinking they know what’s coming and then completely surprise them.

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

Dugo, book 2 in the Bellocaro series, is now available on Amazon. I’m currently working on book 3, which will take readers back to Sceadu for more adventure. But it’s still a ways from completion. I tend to be very descriptive about the action in my novels, which is why they’re long. But I do it because I think anyone who selects one of my books to read deserves to be entertained, and I do my best to give them a good story.

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