September 2009 marked the beginning of my journey with writing paranormal/fantasy romance novels. After spending a year hiatus in Panama with my family, I returned to Ontario relaxed and ready to let stories flow from my mind onto the page. The only problem was—I didn’t know a thing about the craft of writing.
Almost four years later, after dozens of workshops, reading hundreds of books, joining a writing community and two critique groups, I've won two writing scholarships and believe I've got a handle on what I’m trying to say and the voice with which I want to say it.
Currently, I am working on the five book Scourge Survivor Series as well as a darker, erotic/romance paranormal series currently called Watchers of the Grey.
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Blaze Ignites blends strong, clever women and tough, sexy men in a fast paced, volatile cocktail of action, seduction and wicked humour.
"Destiny my ass." Jade Glaster refuses to believe the Fates rule her life. Orphaned after an attack by Scourge soldiers, a young Jade vows never to be powerless again. Once grown and strong, wielding the affinities of fire and healing, Jade protects innocents as an enforcer for her world's elite policing agency—The Talon.
When an emissary mission to reinstate a race of exiled Elves brings Galan into her life, Jade finds herself overwhelmed by new passions, some welcome, some not. Although Galan's antiquated views on women offend her to her heated core, when the Scourge attack his family, she helps him navigate the outside worlds he knows nothing about—the magical Realm of the Fair and, stranger still . . . the modern streets of Toronto.
Through their sensually charged pursuit of justice, Jade discovers that when dealing with the Fates—destiny is never random.
Q) What inspired you to write this story?
My family and I lived in Central America for a year and the only book we had with us at first was my teenaged daughter's copy of a new release her friend had told her about—Twilight.
I've told this story before, but lying in a hammock in our piece of Panamanian rainforest, I read, re-read and re-re-read it. Eventually, I started thinking how differently the story could go. If I wrote it, my Edward would say this . . . In my book, Bella wouldn't be so . . . . And so it continued until I'd made up my own characters and had a rough framework of a story.
It still was just a bunch of jumbled ideas in my head until we returned to Ontario in August of 2009. Then, in my depression of having to return to the hustle and bustle of modern life, I began writing down my story. I have always loved Elves, so that was a no brainer, and the rest of the characters just introduced themselves and took their places. Mostly coming to me in dreams.
Q) How long did it take you to write?
Well, the idea phase was that year in Panama, then I started getting things down on paper when we returned home in September 2009. By May 2010 I gave in and bought a laptop. Then, when it was all down, I took it to a writer friend of mine, Heather, and said, 'I wrote a novel, but the problem is—I don't know how to write. I need to take some classes.'
Cue the joining of 'The Writers' Community of Durham Region' (the best writers' group imaginable), the taking of classes and workshops, the starting up of a critique group and then came the rewrites. All in—it took about four years.
Q) What is your favorite thing about writing?
I have two: first, there's the moment when you've been writing along and it's flowing and moving well and all of a sudden something you're putting down on the screen ties in perfectly to another bit you put in waaaay back in the novel. You didn't make a conscious decision and never thought about how the two ideas would link up, but it comes together perfectly, right when you need it. It's like, 'No way. OMG, that's so cool.' It doesn't happen all the time, but it's honestly the biggest high I get as a writer.
I also love feedback from readers. Of course my favorite is good feedback—I love when readers connect with my characters and are carried away by my story, but even critical feedback gets me excited. If it's quality criticism, it gives me room to grow, ways to improve and reach more people with what they're looking for. I love that.
Q) What is your least favorite thing about writing?
Being stuck in edits with deadlines and not actually writing anything new for weeks. I have to organize my time better. I feel so drained and down when I haven't killed anyone or made anyone squirm for a few days let alone weeks. My fire seems to get lost in edits sometimes.
Q) If you could be any famous person for one day, who would you be and why?
That's a tough one. If it's only for one day, my first thought is Miranda Kerr, because then I'd be a supermodel and married to Orlando Bloom—who, just between us—I have been in love with since he first appeared as Legolas Greenleaf. Did I mention I have a thing for Elves? But beyond the beauty, jet-setting life, wealth and hubby hotness, what would that give me?
Nothing any better than I have now: wife, mother, friend, sister. I'd be happy to return to my life.
Q) What is the oldest thing in your fridge and how old is it?
Funny, I'm not even really sure what it's called. Before I quit working to write full time, one of the ladies I shared my days with gave me a home-made, Trinidadian chutney for my husband to try. It's sealed in a mason jar and supposed to be extremely spicy, because he loves spice. Well, it got pushed to the back of the fridge, moved to the new house, pushed back again, and I don't think he's ever tried it. I know it's the oldest, because she gave it to me before I quit and that was February 2012, so it's at least eighteen months old if not older.
Q) What can readers expect from you in the future?
Tons. The Scourge Survivors have at least four more novels to come—three already written and in edits. And then, right now, I'm working on an edgier Paranormal Erotic Romance series which already has some interest from an agent. Fingers crossed. I've also got an outline for a third series I'm quite excited about and I've got an Erotica novel about living in a Panamanian rainforest sketched out too. I just don't have enough hours in my days.
