What can you tell us about your new release, Come Home to Me?
Let me start off by saying, I promise you, you'll never look at elevators the same again.
There's a touch of an office romance, some insight into addiction, and a whole lot of personal and spiritual growth for the youngest Carmichael sister.
What books are currently on your night stand?
Oh wow! This one might blow your mind. (And I'm going to count the book I'm currently reading on my Kindle because my Kindle is actually on my nightstand).
Drive by Kate Stewart
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Maia by Richard Adams
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
As you can tell, I read a bit of everything, though most of my romance reads are on my Kindle. I won't waste your time by going through THAT list because it's massive and never-ending!
Who is your favorite couple from literature?
That's a great question and I had to think hard on it. Marlo Rivers and Ever Montgomery in JA DeRouen's Over duet stand out to me. Those books surprised me big time and I've thought about them more than once in the year since I read them.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
My husband. I've spent my life writing and telling stories, but never to publish. My stories were for me. Or for my brother's friends who begged me to spin tales of epic battles and awesome loot for games of Dungeons & Dragons. (Yes, I did it. Yes, I cringe to admit it. Yes, I had fun creating crazy worlds, insane characters, and terrifying monsters.) I raised my kids on bed time stories right off the top of my head and lived for the gleam in their eyes. It was my husband who urged me to publish and I still thank him every day. Without his belief in me, we wouldn't be here right now and I am a big fan of where we are.
What's your favorite thing about writing?
It's like going on vacation every day and spending time with interesting families and people. At the end of a long writing session, it feels like I have jet lag. I need an hour or two to adjust to being back in my life.
What is a typical day like for you?
Between kids, dogs, guinea pigs, a husband, and writing, my days are full! (But whose life isn't, you know?) I'm up at 5:30 to get the kids ready for school. Then I write until they come home from school. Oftentimes, I'm juggling writing with all the admin stuff that comes along with this job--marketing, drafting emails, okaying graphics for teasers, and a million other things I never dreamed I'd deal with. While the kids do homework, I cook dinner. On beautiful days, I work in the garden. My husband and I are learning how to make wine, so you can often find us studying YouTube videos to find out how we ended up with rocket fuel or making a jaw-dropping mess of the kitchen while we work--singing, dancing, and laughing along the way.
What scene in Come Home to Me was your favorite to write?
I think that would be the scene where Sarah has an epiphany eating pizza in Frank's apartment. I had a totally different idea on how that scene was going to play out, but once I started typing, it was like Sarah took hold and moved my fingers over the keys. She had deep thoughts of her own and they were WAY more important than whatever boring old plot I had in mind for her. While the changes to that scene meant I had to make some tweaks to the outline for the rest of the book, I'm glad I followed my intuition and let Sarah take the lead.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Whatever rightly done, however humble, is noble. I saw that one in a grocery store of all places, and I strive to live by it. No matter how big or small a task, I try to take time to do it right.
I believe in random acts of kindness.
I believe happiness is a choice and I fight to make that choice every day.
