Betrayal of Blood features vampires, witches, and supernatural creatures. What draws you to these dark, fantastical elements? Its a combination of power, passion, and stakes. Everything's more dramatic, from the fight scenes, to the smut, to the problems these creatures have to face. It's all more intense, more “life and death”. Fantasy also allows for more imagination, less rules. It's not confined by physics, necessarily. In short, fantasy is freedom.
How do you balance romance, smut, and urban fantasy in your stories without overwhelming the reader? It’s all about the characters. I establish who they are as “people” so when they hook up with someone, or get in a fight, or fall in love, the reader understands why. Its never “too much” because the characters’ motivations are always clear.
Which character in Betrayal of Blood was the most fun or challenging to write? Booth was the most fun. In my mind, he's Anthony Stewart Head so imagining him being a little sassy makes me smile.
Are there specific themes you aim to explore through your urban fantasy worlds? Found-family seems to be my go-to. I like the idea of a group of people protecting each other through any problems that come up, including battles with monsters.
How do you create tension and suspense in your romance while maintaining the supernatural elements? Again, it's the characters. By the time I write, I've given them back stories, traumas, hopes and dreams. They're full “people” by the time the story starts so all I have to do is have them react honestly to their circumstances.
Were there any scenes that surprised you in how they developed while writing? Adia didn’t exist in the original outline, then she was just there to give Marley more depth. But, it wasn't long before my brain was like, “Wouldn't it be awesome if…”
How do you approach worldbuilding in an urban fantasy setting compared to high fantasy? I haven't written high fantasy (yet) but I start with the premise that most humans don't know magic and supernatural creatures exist then I put those creatures in a real world setting. The actual real world. Marley and Violet’s first date was at Coney Island. Every ride, every game is real.
Do you draw inspiration from folklore, mythology, or real-life events for your supernatural creatures? A hundred percent. I'm a research whore so I do deep dives on everything. Half the time I spend working on a book is spent researching everything from locations, to spells, to the origins of this creature or that. I spend a minimum of twenty minutes researching each character's name for meaning and origin. Someone told me it's excessive but I just call it being thorough.
How do you craft morally complex characters that feel both dark and relatable? I focus on making them feel real and I give them reasons, psychological and/or circumstantial, for behaving the way they do. I think it really boils down to them having actual personalities.
What do you hope readers feel most strongly after finishing Betrayal of Blood? I want people to walk away from Betrayal of Blood saying, “What a ride!”
Creative Process and Writing Life: 11. You juggle homeschooling three kids and writing novels—how do you carve out time for your creative work? I only write on weekends when my husband is home to be with the kids so I can lock myself in my room, put noise cancelling headphones on, and focus. I'll write for sixteen hours straight some days. Thanks, Dr. Pepper! 12. Can you walk us through your writing process from idea to finished draft? I'll start with a very basic idea, write a synopsis that's about a page long, then break that up into 3 parts, a beginning, middle, and end. Then, I'll write down all the ideas I have for those parts: characters, backstory, plot points, bits of dialogue, etc. Then, I'll make a playlist of songs that have the general vibe of specific scenes or characters. Then, while listening to the playlist, I'll write up a chapter by chapter, scene by scene outline. Research is happening at every stage. Then, I'll sit down to write, usually while listening to purple noise, nature sounds, or lyric-less 154 bpm study music. 13. How does editing fit into your workflow, and do you prefer self-editing or working with professionals? I do both. I self-edit then, when I think it's perfect, I send it to my editor, Allen Black. He's incredible. I've been working with him for six years now. I edit for other authors (and ghostwrite, shh) but I'll always have my own work looked over by my editor because when it's my own work, I feel like I'm too close to it. 14. Have you found certain writing techniques particularly helpful for balancing dark romance and fantasy? I call it “gardening”. I write an outline, as detailed as possible, but I allow myself to make changes at any time. 15. Do you outline your stories or let them evolve organically? Outline, for sure. I'm a planner by nature, hard type A. I think if I tried to write without an outline, the story would either be really, really short or I'd forget a million things and end up having to start over. 16. How has your approach to writing changed over time, especially with multiple books under your belt? With The Seventh Day Series, I worked myself sick. Every one of those books (not including the first) took about six weeks from idea to finished because I would write every night after my husband got home from work. I'd stay up until seven or so in the morning, downing stupid amounts of Dr. Pepper and candy to stay awake, then have to be up at ten. I burned myself out HARD. It wasn't sustainable so after a long break, I put myself on a weekends-only schedule. Books take longer to get out but it's a trade I'm willing to make for my health and for my family. 17. Are there other genres or themes you hope to explore in future projects? I'd like to venture into horror, sci fi, and maybe some fairy smut. I have notebooks full of ideas and outlines.
Personal Insights & Advice: 18. What inspired you to write dark and smutty stories with supernatural elements? I've always loved vampires and by nature, they're generally dark and strangely romantic. After The Seventh Day books, I got a lot of requests from readers for vampire smut so Betrayal of Blood (and it's sequel that will be out later this year) is kind of a gift to those readers, the ones who liked the romantic subplots of Seventh Day and the ones who told me, at length, about their crushes on Queen Allydia, Wyatt, and Lucifer. 19. How do you handle the balance between adult content and compelling storytelling? I know I keep saying it, but it's all about the characters. I view a book as a glimpse into the characters' lives during the time the plot is playing out. They have full lives and personalities so when there's not an active fight happening, they do other things, like work, or talk, or smash. I also do this thing where there's kind of an ensemble cast that all have things going on so there isn't a point where things get boring. 20. What advice would you give to authors tackling urban fantasy and romance simultaneously? Develop your characters. Don't write a thing until they feel real. Once you know who they are, you'll know what they would do or say in any circumstance. Research everything. You don't want someone from the city your book is set in to be like, “We don't even have a building like that!” or a Wiccan mad that you didn't describe a ritual right. And, lastly, give yourself permission to write what you want. The second guessing and imposter syndrome can eat you alive but if you write what you would want to read, guaranteed there are others who will want to read it, too. Trust your gut.
Rapid-Fire Questions: 21. Coffee, tea, or something stronger while writing? Dr. Pepper, sometimes macha. 22. Favorite supernatural creature to write about? Vampires 23. One book you wish you had written? I wish I had published my angsty 90s teen poetry. A bunch of my poems won awards back in the day and I never did anything with them. Maybe I'll dig them out of storage and put them on the zon one day. 24. Character you relate to the most in your stories? Gabriel in The Seventh Day, Rue in Betrayal of Blood. 25. When you’re not writing, how do you recharge your creativity? I listen to music and watch YouTube videos of people reacting to songs they've never heard. It's fascinating to hear people's insights, especially when they're wrong. People not knowing that Father Figure by Taylor Swift is about the HBO show Succession and watching them try to figure out who she's talking about will never not be hilarious.
