Wrecked By You follows a woman in charge of making sure a million-dollar pre-wedding celebration goes off without a hitch while also trying to keep things strictly professional with the company’s controlling security chief. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Wrecked By You kicks off a series about six sisters running an elite travel agency, and I knew from the start I wanted to flip the spotlight onto women who are both powerful and real. Rayann is whip-smart and competent, but she’s also messy, impulsive, and deeply human. Max, our broody former SEAL, is the same way—yes, he’s sexy and commanding, but he carries scars you don’t always see at first glance. Those layers are what make characters feel like people you’d actually want to meet for drinks, laugh with, and maybe confess your own chaos to.

The setting was a no-brainer for me. I’ve always had a touch of wanderlust, and after years of traveling, I wanted each Wilder Horizons book to sweep readers into a different international location—Scotland, Costa Rica, Patagonia, the Galápagos—places that feel magical but still grounded in real life.

And woven into all that banter and heat are quieter threads that matter deeply to me. There’s a subtle nod to Rayann’s ADHD and a clear through-line of Max’s PTSD as a veteran. My husband came home from Afghanistan with PTSD, and I retired from the Air Force myself, so those stories aren’t abstract to me. And my teenage son has ADHD, so I’ve seen both the struggle and the gift of it up close. Too many people carry those battles in silence—I wanted to honor them on the page in a way that still lets readers laugh, swoon, and escape.

I enjoyed the tension surrounding the relationship between Rayann and Max. How did their relationship develop while you were writing it? Did you have an idea of where you wanted to take it, or was it organic?

I always start with an outline—big picture arc, chapter beats, the whole nine yards—because romance readers deserve that satisfying payoff at the end. But once I actually start writing, the characters tend to laugh at my notes and take the wheel on their own. It’s very much like real relationships: you think you know who someone is when you first meet them, and then the more time you spend together, the more surprises come out. That’s the part of writing I find addictive—you plot, you plan, and then suddenly you’re pantsing your way through revelations you didn’t see coming.

With Rayann and Max, I knew from the start that there would be sparks and friction, but I didn’t anticipate just how much Max’s backstory would shape the way he could (or couldn’t) open up to her. His struggle to forgive himself became the emotional hinge of their love story, and that realization didn’t hit me until I was deep into drafting. Honestly, I didn’t even have Murdo, his wise, whiskey-pouring confidant, in the original outline. But the moment Murdo showed up on the page, everything clicked, and suddenly Max’s journey felt more profound than I ever expected.

So yes, I had a destination in mind. But the road there? Totally organic, full of detours, and absolutely worth the ride.

What was your favorite scene in this story?

Oh, that’s like asking me to pick a favorite child—but if we’re talking pure comic relief? “The Highland Games” chapter wins, hands down. I was snort-laughing my way through writing it. It’s the first time Rayann really taunts Max out in the open, and Max—who normally lives and dies by a spreadsheet—literally rolls up his sleeves and gets messy right alongside her. Watching him let go for once was delicious.

But I also have a soft spot for the post-closet scene where Murdo unveils his signature cocktail on the chalkboard. The innuendo was flying, Max was being utterly filthy, and Rayann was desperately trying to pretend she wasn’t affected—which, of course, made it even better.

As much fun as the spice is to write (and trust me, it is fun), it’s the comedy that gets me. Those moments where I’m laughing so hard at my own manuscript that my husband and son give me the stink-eye, like I’m sitting there with some secret joke they’ll never be in on. Honestly? That’s my favorite kind of writing day.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?

Yes! Wrecked By You is the first in the Wilder Horizons series, and it sets the stage for five more sister stories. Book two, Challenged By You, follows Rayann’s twin sister, Brynn, down to the wilds of Costa Rica. Brynn is a practical joker with a sharp tongue, and she’s forced to team up with her biggest rival, Jerrick Thorne, a maddeningly sexy competitor who knows exactly how to push her buttons.

Readers can expect all the banter, angst, and slow-burn tension of book one, but with a fresh backdrop: rainforest adventures, high-stakes agency competition, and a romance that simmers until it absolutely explodes. Think: zip lines, jaguar encounters, power suits by the pool, and two people who would rather do anything than admit they’re falling for each other.

Release-wise, it’s coming Oct 28th. And from there, the Wilder sisters will keep globe-trotting their way into love, disaster, and plenty of laughter.

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