Hidden in the Shadows follows a young woman who returns to her hometown for her grandfather’s funeral, and discovers secrets her family has hidden for decades. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

An actual photograph I found in my grandfather’s box of family photos was my inspiration, and just like Evie, it nagged at me for years. I was nine when I came across it. My grandfather was a police chief in my small hometown for over thirty years, and when I asked him about the photo of the mysterious woman standing next to a tiny box, his reaction was the same as Evie’s grandfather. He didn’t want to talk about it. Of course, that only made my mystery-solving nine-year-old brain more curious. He died with the story of what happened, leaving me to my own imagination of the possibilities. Hidden in the Shadows finally came to life after forty-five years of wondering.

How did the mystery develop for this story? Did you plan it before writing, or did it develop organically?

Great question! Evie took me on quite the journey with her. In fact, I had no idea who the killer might be, whether they were male or female. Was it the mom, a sibling, or a stranger? And what would Evie uncover? As I wrote, the story unfolded. I didn’t even know why a grandfather would keep such a photo if he didn’t want to talk about it. That answer only came to me when I wrote Daniel Jones’s confession letter surprising even me! So, I think organically is absolutely the answer to that question. In fact, the original version had Evie and Luke meeting for the first time, and a third of the novel was building their relationship. It wasn’t working. The editor of my first book suggested that Evie move away for a reason and return for another reason allowing me to not only have more stakes for Evie but to have an already established relationship between them and eliminating the need to throw a romance novel into the middle of a mystery.

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

Oh, without a doubt, the child trafficking pandemic happening all around the world. To give voices to children who never had one. To let the survivors know that someone heard them. That was the reason behind Hidden in the Shadows, although I didn’t know it at the time. As I began researching the photo, stories landed in my lap that broke my heart. I knew I had to take it down a dark and uncomfortable path because as hard as it was for me to hear the survivor’s testimonies, I couldn’t imagine what it was like to live through.

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

I am currently working on two. Behind the Shadows and Memoirs From A Killer. Behind the Shadows has taken a temporary back seat, though, because a character named Roman (yes, the one from Hidden In The Shadows) in Memoirs From A Killer is occupying my mind and persistently tapping me on my shoulder and filling my brain and keyboard with quite a story! It should be available within the year if all goes well. Behind the Shadows will follow shortly thereafter.

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