The Scarlet D follows a recently divorced woman who travels across the country to start a new life in South Carolina. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Long Enough to Love You (a Literary Titan Gold Book Award winner) was my last book. It delves into a marriage ending on a raw and emotional level and introduces love later in life. I heard a common theme from readers: there are not enough stories about “older” women protagonists writing their own narratives in life and love. The Scarlet D continues that theme but on a lighter note. She’s a woman wanting a fresh start in life even though conventional wisdom and societal stereotypes would say she’s too old and should be grateful for her life. Moving across the country was symbolic of owning her destiny. She’s also different in that she’s the anti-woman scorned. So often, women are portrayed as victims. She isn’t and refuses to wear the label. It’s a lighter telling of love, sex, desire, and finding a place to call yours.

Is there anything from your own life included in your characters and their experiences?

Of course, there is! I was going through a divorce when I started writing it and was a divorcee when I finished it. The feelings and emotions are real for me. I discovered love again along the way, too. I was able to take snippets of my old life and parts of my new life, sometimes giving voice or perspective to situations. But really, these are entirely fabricated characters with morsels of my own life baked in. It is fun to have people ask what parts are real or not!

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

The myth that we roll over and die in our fifties is so wrong! Gray divorce is front and center. Women are taking ownership of their lives. They are open to doing scary things like starting over on their own after marriages that lasted decades. We are allowed to challenge societal stereotypes and norms. Friendships are different as we age. Finding new friends is a challenging task. Scarlet is often uncomfortable in her own skin and finds herself in some awkward predicaments but finds a way to rise above it all. She is writing her own narrative, and that is huge! Everyone will not agree with how she does it, but we all have a path, and recognizing we have choices in the road we travel is a pivotal theme. I love being this age, knowing what I want and what I need, and no longer having to pretend to fit some mold. It’s liberating to come-of-middle-age!

Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?

I have several books in the concept phase. I have considered making The Scarlet D a series. Some fun, quirky characters deserve their own stories. I know I should stay true to one genre, but I have too many stories to tell. I will likely write historical fiction based on my uncle’s family memoir next. My mom is German and their family story is remarkable. She is in her eighties now, and I’d like for her to be able to read it. The story is of a boy who turned ten on the day World War II ended. I look forward to having the creative license to write that story.
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