What was the last book that you read that you’d now recommend?

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle.

Have you read any classics lately that you were reading for the first time? 

The Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila.

Do you re-read books? And if yes, what was your last re-read?

Yes, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

What are your go-to genres? 

Romance, Women’s Fiction, Spirituality (non-fiction). 

What is your favorite childhood book?

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle.

What books are on your bedside table right now?

By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley. 

Do you bookmark or dogear your page in a book? 

Both!

What is your ideal reading setting? 

I like to read in bed. 

Tell us about your favorite indie bookstore? 

Turning Page Bookstore in South Carolina is a Black-owned shop that sells books by Black authors. The owners are really friendly too! 

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

When I was very young, I said the word “ship,” and the nun-teacher thought I had said a curse word.  So I got a demerit!

What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

I visited Princeton, New Jersey, the town where Ann M. Martin grew up. She wrote The Babysitters Club. 

Where do you get most of your writing and editing done?

I get most of my writing and editing done at home. 

Does writing energize or exhaust you? 

When I write first drafts, I’m energized. When I’m editing, I get exhausted. 

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Two.  Both are completed but unpublished.  They’re in very different genres from my published work. 

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

I don’t read reviews anymore, and so I don’t deal with reviews either way, good or bad. 

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? 

Be prepared for the long haul.  

When you’re not reading or writing, what are you doing?

Napping or taking a walk outside. 

What are your three favorite things right now? 

Sleep. Prayer. Laughter. 

Your favorite travel destination and why? 

Hawaii. It’s such a beautiful locale and they’re on Standard Time year round. 

What’s your favorite meal and go-to drink order?

Tom Yum Soup, Shrimp Pad Thai, and a Coca-Cola. 

What six people, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party?

Michael Jackson, St. John of the Cross, Bill Withers, St. Teresa of Avila, Albert Einstein, Maya Angelou. 

If a movie was made of your life, what genre would it be, and who would play you?

The movie would be a drama. Tatyana Ali could play me.  

What’s the last TV show or movie you watched that was really good?

Woman King.

You have to sing karaoke; what song do you pick?

“I Just Called to Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder. 

If you were being taken to a deserted island and could only bring one book, what would it be? 

My prayer book.