The Changed Man follows a former CEO who leaves the family business to become a thriller author, causing some strain among family and friends. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

In Book 1 of this series, The Silent Woodsman, fraternal twins Joe and Jake have a rivalry that dates back to high school. Joe was a musician and a babe magnet from an early age. He matured earlier than Jake and was far more confident; that gave him a distinct advantage with the girls. Two incidents in particular caused their estrangement, and that plays heavily into the plot. In this book, I wanted to redeem Jake, who never got a chance to justify his actions in Book 1.

My sister and I were close in age. She was “the athlete” and I was “the brain.” Actually, she was plenty brainy, and although I didn’t have her coordination, I was athletic, too. But for a while, we both felt trapped in our roles. So I definitely understand feeling irrationally competitive with a sibling. In Jake’s case, Joe did deserve some blame.

Inspiration… it’s all a hodgepodge of an author’s experience. I dated a track star at a Catholic high school when I was 16, so my memories of him play into it. I was a German literature major and am the daughter of a professor of Russian History, and writing romance novels is somewhat on par with writing thrillers–a profession some “serious” people look down on. Especially in academic circles. Let’s just say that I don’t rely on friends and relatives as my main fan base, although my sister and I are very close, and she is wonderfully supportive of my writing.

I dated a CEO once, who turned out to be dating someone in San Francisco at the same time.

Your characters’ energy and personality really bring this story to life. Did you incorporate anything from your own life into the characters in your novel?

Thank you! I share Jake’s appreciation for the absurd. I also know a man who hiked in the Himalayas with his best friend–the trip was a lifelong dream–only to have him drop dead in their hotel room. It made me think about how men cope with grief and how great it would be if his friend’s spirit could have comforted him somehow.

When I was 17, my family stayed in a hotel outside of Florence that was run by minor nobility. We met the son and his friend, and my sister and I had an extremely innocent “romance” with them. I put it in quotes because it involved nothing more than flirting, but it was very exciting to my innocent and naive teenage self.

I don’t write about evil characters. My antagonists are mostly immature and selfish–but charming. Before I met my husband, I had a weakness for “bad boys.” They didn’t treat me particularly well, but I don’t really blame them. They were clear about who they were; I just wasn’t listening. I have known several men like George Reed Masters. They’re a blast if you can keep from falling hard for them.

I enjoyed Jake and Chiara’s romantic relationship. How did it develop while you were writing it? Did you have an idea of where you wanted to take it, or was it organic?

I made it up as I went along, but I did have a clear idea in my head of who they are. Like Chiara, I am fascinated by how idioms reflect a country’s culture. My strongest languages are French and German, but I also studied Italian for a year in college. Chiara and Jake are both insecure, but also intelligent and intuitive. That plays into how their relationship develops. Both are powerfully attracted but neither quite believes anyone can truly love them back. Whenever I encounter a house (or castle) that’s been made into a museum, I want to tour it! Especially if it contains the original furniture. I love thinking about how people used to live in the days before technology. Chiara and Jake are also enchanted by the past, another thing they have in common.

I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?

In Book 5, The Fallen Man, we learn Edward’s story. For the past ten years, Edward has been a priest in Philadelphia, but when he arrives in Port Townsend, he’s finished with the Church. When I was a kid, the big bestseller was The Thorn Birds. I wanted to write a story about a sexy priest who isn’t plagued by guilt or sexually repressed and doesn’t meet a bad end. Edward had his reasons–good ones–for becoming a priest. Read the book to find out why he becomes disenchanted. And of course, he meets a beautiful woman in Port Townsend to cushion his “fall.” I won’t give away who she is, though she’s appeared in prior books and has a brief scene in The Changed Man. Book 5 will be released June 1st. Right now, I’m giving it one final edit. I’ve been mulling over spinoff books featuring minor characters or the O’Connell children as adults since this series takes place in the ’90s.

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