I had the chance to do a little interview with some people at Future House Publishing about my writing process, the behind-the-scenes for The Talismans of Teregrin, and what the future may look like for the characters. Check it out in the Q&A below:
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a former high school English teacher, a runner, and a boy-mom. I love all things Fall, and I’m easily amused (Seriously, I’ll give it up for a bad pun). I’ve climbed Pike’s Peak, seen Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and survived a bad boat ride in the South China Sea, but I can turn anything that happens to me into an adventure. I usually look at the difficult things in life as unfinished stories waiting to be told.
How would you describe your book in three words?
Fun, Dark, Hope
What inspired this book?
I wanted to see what would happen if the characters who normally played the comic relief and the love interest were thrown into the main character roles. How would they respond in a dark situation, like the one in Talismans? I had to know.
Would you get along with your main character(s)?
Definitely! Both Oliver and Gemma have pieces of me. Oliver and I share a similar sense of humor and a knack for flying by the seat of our pants. I’d love to sit down and talk to Gemma. We’re both introverts who don’t give up easily.
What is the strangest thing you’ve had to research for a book? Any book.
For Talismans, I had to research whether or not a can of baked beans would explode in a campfire.
What is your number one piece of advice for an aspiring author?
Find your writing community. That might be on social media or in a real-life group, but you need writing friends who will give you the insight to improve your writing, to help you grow, to encourage you on the low days, and to celebrate the wins. Writing a book may seem like a solo activity, but writing a good book doesn’t have to be (and shouldn’t be) that lonely.
What can we expect for future books?
Gemma and Oliver’s story is just beginning. In future books, they will have to battle the other factions of teen Experiments, fight Morphers, learn the truth about the lab, and even face a dangerous threat from within themselves. They’re still learning to be heroes and which people they can trust to watch their backs and hold their hearts.
What is one thing you would like to tell your readers?
“When nothing goes right, go left.” I’ve lived this expression with some of my own obstacles, and that’s the twins’ attitude too. When life knocks you down, go a different way, one step at a time. Don’t let difficulties stop you. Keep moving.
How long did it take you to write this book?
I wrote the first draft in 2-3 months. Editing took perhaps another six months with repeated rounds of revisions.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I love reading (obviously), but mostly just spending time with my family. My kids are pretty young, so I like playing outside with them. I also enjoy going for long trail runs, savoring a few cups of coffee each morning, and falling asleep while watching a movie.
What do you think makes a good story?
Good stories need conflict. To me, it’s not the characters’ strengths that make a story interesting, but their weaknesses, their limitations, and the consequences from their actions. How do they overcome those challenges? What will happen if they don’t? Those stories help us invest in the characters, and they’re more relatable.
What can people expect from this book?
You can expect a fun ride from Talismans. The threats from the lab and the Morphers will keep you on your toes, and Gemma and Oliver will pull you into their chaos. But even when things seem really dark, their ridiculous optimism will give you a ray of hope and keep you rooting for them to the end of the book.
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