Hearts on Paper follows a teenager on summer break learning to navigate life with a new stepmother and a picture-perfect stepbrother. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

One drop of truth spiraled into a writer’s hurricane. The first draft of Hearts on Paper poured out of me in just eleven days. When I was in seventh or eighth grade, my father remarried and didn’t tell me. I found out when I went to visit for two weeks over summer break. I let myself in with the spare key, hidden in a mustard jar, because my dad was at work. My new stepbrother, a total stranger, greeted me in the dining room. He showed me pictures of their wedding hanging on the newly painted pink walls.

Looking back as an adult, I thought two things: What a shifty thing to do, and what a great way to start a story.

What draws you to write YA fiction?

I’m drawn to the story; this one just so happened to be YA.

Do you have a favorite scene in this novel? One that was especially enjoyable to craft?

Chapter: “Clever Girls.” I loved writing the self-defense scene—girl bonding at its most savage.

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

Pretzel Fangs is a cozy horror short novel. Kat ages out of the foster system and becomes a human blood bag for vampires. It’s salty, twisted, and delicious. Available on Wattpad while I fine-tune a few scenes. It might be available in print as soon as this fall, just in time for spooky season.

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