Tangles follows a fierce secretary and a brash scientist as they seek to expose the mishandling of radioactive waste by the government and the impact it has on their town. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Very early on in my research I came across multiple non-fiction volumes about Hanford. When I read Trisha Pritikin’s (herself a victim of radiation exposure) book, The Hanford Plaintiffs, multiple personal accounts inspired several characters. Mary and Luke and their parents are an amalgamation of many different folks who were a part of those lawsuits in early 2000. Those court proceedings went on for almost 12 years and resulted in very little recompense for the victims. When I discovered that, I knew I had to write this story.

I enjoyed the depth of your characters and how relatable they are. Who was your favorite character to write for and why?

Luke was probably my favorite, but a close second was Walker. Creating their “guy” relationship, the melding of their different backgrounds, was both a challenge and really satisfying when I got it right – especially when one of my expert readers said, “Yes, that is exactly how scientists talk to one another. You’ve captured the competitiveness perfectly.”

Was there a scene you felt captured the character’s essence?

For Luke, that was the hiking scene into the Goat Mountains where a significant discovery was made. I worked very hard on his inner thinking, to portray the guilt he felt on many levels. For Mary, it was the scene with Helen, Luke’s Mom, when she learned how to can tomatoes. Again, her inner thoughts and her responses to Helen when she offered Mary her aide in her difficulties, said it all about Mary.

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

So many, but maybe foremost, the debunking of the tropes that abound about the 40s and 50s “perfect American life.” So many problems in our society were ratcheted up as industry and wars created huge problems across both the middle and lower classes and affected our education systems, especially at the post-secondary levels. Second was daylighting the severe limitations women still endured, both financially and career-wise, because of societal dictates.

Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?

If you read to the end, you will see a set up for another Luke tale, and maybe, just maybe he and his son will take on a challenge together. But for now, I am working on my mother’s story, involving the five women she boarded with while teaching high school in rural Texas during the 30s and 40s. It’s turning into quite the tale!

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TANGLES
A Suspense-Filled
Historical Tale
Coming
November 12, 2024
A quietly fierce secretary, a brash young scientist,

a town cloaked in secrecy…and an entire region under threat.