What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Bear and the Lamb?
The Bear and the Lamb began as a short story about an 1890s outlaw and a stargazing innkeeper’s wife who cross paths briefly, each helping the other out of a kind of cage—social, emotional, and personal. It was always meant to be fleeting, but the characters stayed with me long after I finished writing it. As I revisited the story, it became clear there was more room to explore their pasts, their choices, and the quiet ways people change each other even when they don’t stay together. Expanding it into a full-length novel felt like giving them the story they deserved.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I love reading romance. I’m especially drawn to character-driven stories that focus on emotional intimacy, longing, and complicated connections. That naturally carries over into my writing—I’m always more interested in who people are and how they collide than in rigid genre boundaries.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
I tend to bounce between genres depending on my writing headspace, but I’m always chasing strong voices and unforgettable characters.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
An absinthe-fueled trip inside a New Orleans opera house. It was surreal and a little unhinged in the best way.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I have an objectively terrible writing posture. I’ll sometimes write with my laptop balanced on my chest while lying flat on my back, then wonder later why my neck hurts.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Anyone who has ever done anything extraordinary has had to be a little delusional.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
I hope readers remember the characters like old friends. One of my favorite feelings as a reader is finishing a book and still thinking about the people in it days—or weeks—later, wondering what they’d be doing now. If my characters linger like that for someone, then I’ve done my job.
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