A Place Unmade follows a marketing director and graduate student who uncovers a plot of corporate espionage. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

An article published in the NYT called Save our Food Free the Seed introduced me to the dangers of industrial agriculture and patentable genetics. Mass production of crops causes a lack of biodiversity. Four industrial agricultural companies now control 60 % of all the seeds that are produced in this country. One of those companies is American, two of those companies are German, and the last one is Chinese. They control all the pesticides and fertilizers. They use one or just a few versions of a grain or vegetable, and this makes our food supply increasingly vulnerable. I wanted to create awareness and felt driven to write a book that would make the science accessible and the danger real.

The character development in this novel was in-depth and engaging. What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?

Growing up in New Orleans gave me the opportunity to experience many different cultures and backgrounds, and I wanted that for my characters. A university setting was a realistic place where they could meet, interact, and participate in an ethics class that became the framework to the challenges they faced. As they worked together, I had a natural platform for them to express different perspectives and values.

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

I hoped to highlight the importance of small farmers and the critical contribution they make to our country, not only from an economic standpoint, but culturally. It’s a way of life that is endangered and we should be doing much more to support them.

I wanted to empower the younger characters to make a difference in a significant crisis, and have them be the first to recognize the problem.

Another one of my goals was to show a nuanced view of the scientists working in agricultural research. It’s not all black and white, or good and bad.

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

I am working on a new book, tentatively called High Resolution. It’s about Coco Benoit, a single, professional woman in her mid-40’s who stumbles onto a smuggling operation at her long-term employer, an offshore oilfield supplier. She encounters pirates in the southern Gulf of Mexico, smooth-talking Cajuns, and Ira, her boyfriend, who is too clever for his own good. I hope it will be available in late 2025 or early 2026.

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