What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
Several years back, I took a workshop on writing catchy blurbs. It required coming up with story ideas and writing a compelling pitch to sell them. I conjured up the idea of a dread-headed reaper called Quantum Man, surfing gravitational waves across the universe before landing on Earth to claim souls. Corny as hell, but I had fun visualizing it. It was much later that I expanded the idea into what it is today. Gone is the quantum part, but the dreads stuck. They say to “write what you know” so I set GRIM Times on a small island with a quirky vibe exactly like the one where I lived for twenty years. Like my GRIM Times series, it’s a place where some people aren’t always what they seem…
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be? (Meant to be fun. Skip if you need to!)
For Sand, clearly the choice is “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult, a song of acceptance—not dread—of dying. Sand’s goal isn’t to instill fear and suffering—he ends it. Death is inevitable. Why expend energy fearing it? After all, you only die once, but you live every day. Kat was orphaned as a child and trained to be an assassin, and lived most of her life untethered with no place to call home. Give “No Roots” by Alice Merton a listen to better understand her. “I like digging holes and hiding things inside them…” Bonus track! “Sixth Sense” by Imelda May, which perfectly sums up Sand’s feelings for Kat. Ooh, just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I don’t stick to a single genre. I read to feed my soul, whether it’s learning something new (non-fiction) or to live someone else’s emotional journey (memoir) or to laugh, be scared, or challenge my mind with a mystery. I love fast-paced-can’t-put-down stories no matter the genre. And, I’m a sucker for a great love story—not romance per se, but the undeniable draw of connection between two characters whether the opposite or same sex, or a pet. Or maybe, an alien. Maybe that is why I mix things up in my own stories: sci-fi and fantasy with a mash-up of romance, mystery, and a dash of horror—and hope—always hope, which threads across the pages no matter how dire the situation may be. What can I say? I’m an optimist bursting with ideas on how things can go horribly wrong!
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
I like to read books that complement what I am currently writing, which right now, is the next book in the GRIM Times series. So queued up on my Kindle is an award-winning classic of absurdist humor (“A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole) and John Scalzi’s latest release—“Monsters of Ohio”—about a small-town community that endures the weird and unusual with a hint of satire embedded within the silliness (like my GRIM Times series).
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
Difficult choice! Sand and his new handler, Jenny, have a special relationship that develops in the first GRIM Times book, Two-Fer. Since she’s a new soul reaper, she lacks real life experiences even though she’s been pumped full of history and facts and whatever other bits of information that could be scraped from the libraries at Galactic Headquarters (where Sand’s employer resides). Sand essentially becomes her de facto dad. She’s been bullied and Sand tests out his parenting skills. Trust is established and Sand learns a valuable lesson in patience. My other favorite scenes involve Kat. Guess you’ll have to read Two-Fer to learn how that relationship develops…
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I strive for little to no distraction. I could never write in a coffee shop. I observe in public and write in private. When I hit a wall or reach a crossroads in the story, I pop in the earbuds, dial up some rocking tunes (what those are depends on what’s happening in the story) and take a walk. After, I crank out more words. Works. Every. Time. Oh, yeah, and stuff loaded with caffeine. Coffee, tea, or chocolate… Gotta keep the synapses firing and fingers nibble and quick!
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
There are so many that I embrace. In light of Dolly Parton’s recent passing, I want to share a 2020 quote from “Dolly Parton’s America” NPR podcast that sticks with me. Her message sums up a common theme that worms its way throughout my stories. “I think it’s not the end of me. I don’t think it’s the end of any of us. I think we’re recycled and if nothing else we just go back into that great flow of divine energy and hopefully we spread ourselves around in other wonderful ways.” —Dolly Parton I don’t know with absolute and complete certainty what will happen to me once my biological life ends. I live in the present and I try to spread myself around in good and wonderful ways every day.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
Love matters. Community matters. When we put aside our grievances and pull together as a collective, we solve problems, we rise up to help those in need, and we can be a formidable force against any tyrant trying to bring us down.
