Fallen Snow follows a woman who must cope with problems she never dreamed of having in a world she never knew existed. What were some sources that informed this novel’s development?

Honestly, there were no immediate sources. Every good story relates to humanity. That’s what Fallen Snow does. Some people think it’s a little bold or dark for a YA novel, but I think it’s exactly what the genre needs. Reading is an escape, but it’s also a good way to learn things about humanity that are better to experience through the life of a protagonist. Fallen Snow is just reality. It’s raw on a level that some people aren’t ready for. Athena pulls back the curtain on real life, causing some people to face the truth about humanity, and others to be relieved that they can finally relate to a character.

Fallen Snow wasn’t written to make a point or solve an argument. Yet it is bold in a way that causes people to stop and think. Maybe it can make someone a little more gentle with themselves or another person. Maybe it can even help someone. That’s the point. Good stories do more than relate a series of events, they make you feel something.

Athena Jackson is an intriguing and well developed character. Was there anything from yourself that you put into this character?

It seems that with many of my characters, I unintentionally reveal a little bit about myself. So yes, I did. Writing Athena was really relieving. She is probably the closest I’ve ever come to being so raw and vulnerable with my audience.

I’ve never gone through exactly what she did (in terms of the physical abuse or pregnancy), but for a long time, I was in a very toxic, co-dependent, and emotionally abusive relationship. Along with other factors, it caused me to develop mental health problems and an eating disorder. Athena is where I think I might have ended up a few years down the road if I hadn’t gotten out of that relationship. She’s very special to me.

What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?

Well, most of the scenes were pretty sad. I remember first writing the hallway scene–the prologue–and I really enjoyed that. I felt confident about how the story would progress from there. I cried a lot writing this book. It was so important to me that I needed to make sure the story was flawless. The hospital scene was very important to me. It wasn’t fun to write, but I poured a lot into it.

This is the third book in the EverGreen series. Do you have plans for a fourth book or are you working on a different project?

Fallen Snow is the last book in the EverGreen Trilogy. My newest novel, Scarlet Whispers, the first book in The Shades of Us Trilogy, was recently released. I’ve already finished writing that trilogy. At some point I may come back and write a companion novel (related to the story, but more of a spin off) between Moonlit Skies and Fallen Snow, but I’m not sure when that will be.

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