What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
Seas of Fury is my second book set in Miami and the Bahamas. I’ve always been fascinated by the sea because it can be beautiful, peaceful, and dangerous all at once. Seas of Fury grew out of that tension. After finishing my first thriller, Shadow Cay, I felt the story had to continue. Both novels deal with mysteries and local flavor. With Seas of Fury, I wanted a strong female lead. Today’s women leaders are breaking barriers, making history in unconventional roles, and defying traditional expectations. For the story of Kyla Lightbourne, I wanted a trailblazer who combined the courage, adaptability, and resilience to turn challenges into opportunities.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
My book is an atmospheric thriller with edge-of-your-seat tension. Michael Jackson’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” masterfully conveys the feeling of being under surveillance. For Zoey Lightbourne, I would choose “Bridge Over Troubled Water” because she carries love, courage, and fear into impossible circumstances. For Declan, “Sailing” fits his deep connection to boats, weather, and the life he built on the water. For Kyla, “I Won’t Back Down” captures her refusal to let silence or grief bury the truth. For Chad, “Against the Wind” fits a man trying to keep going after life has stripped away comfort and certainty.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I absolutely love thrillers, suspense, and mysteries, especially stories with strong atmosphere and settings that become part of the danger, where ordinary people are forced into extraordinary pressure. They’re my favorite genres to read and write. I’m open to reading women’s fiction; however, I give horror a wide berth unless it’s written by Stephen King.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
I always have something available. My next reads are Served Him Right by Lisa Unger, Flames In The Valley by Elle Gray, The Preacher by Wayne Bodie, and The Ship by Tim L. Rey. While my TBR pile is always growing, I am drawn to books with strong coastal or island settings and those stories with secrets, moral choices, and characters who fight their way toward the truth.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
In general, my favorite nautical scenes in Seas of Fury are those evoking the emotional toll of isolation and unexpected perils. A few times in my life, when anchored in remote areas, I felt that inherent element of danger and vulnerability. I aimed to capture that essence in my book. One of my favorite scenes to write was the prologue aboard Aboat Time, when Zoey and Declan begin the day in a moment of ordinary peace. I loved writing the contrast between their familiar married banter, the beauty of the sea, and the slow realization that something is wrong. That scene captures the heart of the book for me: love, danger, water, and the terrible speed with which an ordinary morning can become the last normal moment of someone\'s life.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
For many years, writing on boats inspired me. It took 3 months of sailing 1,700 miles in the Bahamas to write my first novel, Shadow Cay. The opportunity to focus on my writing surrounded by stunning ocean views without any distractions—no phones or electronic media—made for a truly remarkable experience. More recently, ever since we sold our 34-foot sailboat, I’m content to dream about nautical adventures and write in my quiet home office.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
One philosophy I believe in is that truth has a way of rising, even when people try to bury it. That idea is at the heart of many suspense stories, and it is certainly at the heart of Seas of Fury. Secrets may stay hidden for a season, but they do not stay silent forever. For the long haul, the life philosophy quote that inspires me and serves as my mental anchor is Roy T. Bennett’s “Don’t Just.”
“Don’t just learn, experience. Don’t just read, absorb. Don’t just change, transform. Don’t just relate, advocate. Don’t just promise, prove. Don’t just criticize, encourage. Don’t just think, ponder. Don’t just take, give. Don’t just see, feel. Don’t just dream, do. Don’t just hear, listen. Don’t just talk, act. Don’t just tell, show. Don’t just exist, live.”
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
I would love for readers to remember that ordinary people can challenge the status quo by living life on their own terms and making decisions based on conviction rather than conforming to avoid discomfort. I hope readers remember that love and truth can survive even after terrible loss. Seas of Fury is a suspense novel, but underneath the danger and mystery is a story about the people left behind—the ones who keep asking questions, keep searching, and refuse to let the dead be reduced to an explanation that doesn’t feel true.
