Eyes of the Beholder follows a photography assistant who worries that her past, which she cannot remember, may destroy the future she is building. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I have always liked the idea of missing pieces of memory as a plot driver. It’s a bit like a subconscious driver which turns out to be the thing really running the show. I was inspired to use this by spy novels (the Bourne books by Robert Ludlum (not the movies) I have read that have used this plot device.

Juliette uses hypnosis to uncover the hidden memories of her childhood and find out what happened to her all those years ago. What was your inspiration for this profound event in this character’s development?

I needed a way for Juliette to access those memories, and I was inspired by a hypnotist I saw on stage once.

What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the essence of the story’s theme?

My research consists of lived experience. I didn’t go outside the box, so to speak, for these books. Much and more comes from my years as a professional advertising and fashion photographer.

Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?

Book 2 – Hands of the Maker

In Book 2 of the Dark Photography Folio, Saxon and Juliette journey to Canada along with cast and crew to shoot for fashion client Daizu. But the stakes are higher than anyone dreamed because Daizu has plans to change the world of fashion. Forever. As the shoot takes on a life of its own, Juliette begins to buckle under the pressure of dealing with her estranged mother, her own mysterious past, and the presence of Persephone, the Daizu client. Because Persephone is the one thing she can’t compete against, the one thing Saxon is helpless before – a stunning girl who is better at Kung-fu than he is. Then they discover that the whole Daizu shoot is just a distraction for a far more insidious agenda. Hands of the Maker takes the reader deeper into Saxon and Juliette’s world as they try to navigate the dark and treacherous waters of lust, betrayal, and a past that won’t stay buried.

Book 3 – Mouth of the Muse

With the greatest shoot of his career in ruins, cut short by a past he had hoped to keep buried, Saxon Payne must race to retrieve the stolen nano-viewfinder if he hopes to save himself and all he holds dear. But he must do this without Juliette, his attraction to the mysterious Persephone now between them. Meanwhile, Juliette discovers who her real father is and, unbeknownst to Saxon, begins her own perilous journey to finally solve the mystery of what happened to her. From supernatural places that border this world to the Carnival at the End of Time that is Burning Man, Saxon and Juliette must both confront the past and the dark forces arrayed against them.

Book 1 was really an extended setup for what happens in Books 2 and 3.

Yes, that is exactly right. More characters start to appear, and Saxon and Juliette each go on their separate quests.

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