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

Would You Rather by Allison Ashley.

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

I haven’t read a classic in years.  I mostly reread my favorite parts from Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice.

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

Yes, I love re-reading books! My most recent re-read is Wrong Bed, Right Brother by Rebecca Brooks.

What are your go-to genres? 

Contemporary romance, rom-com, erotica.

What is your favorite childhood book?

The “Alice” series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

What books are on your bedside table right now?

Lay Me Down In Ivy by Stefanie Simpson.

Do you bookmark or dogear your page in a book? 

Bookmark, always (never ever dogear!)

What is your ideal reading setting? 

On my couch in my living room.

Tell us about your favorite indie bookstore? 

Good Neighbor Bookstore in Lakewood, New York.  They have a big focus on fostering empathy and carrying titles that promote understanding, diversity, and creativity, which I think is wonderful.  

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

The first time I cursed in front of my parents. I was 5 and dropped an f-bomb (I heard one of my friends say it at school).  They got very upset and explained to me the difference between bad words and good words. 

What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

I went to Nashville with my good friend Skye McDonald a few years ago–she’s a romance author too, and I’m a big fan of her books.  We became friends online and decided to take a girl’s trip to Nashville, her hometown, and the setting of her book Not Suitable For Work (one of my favorites!).  She took me around to all of the cool spots in the book, it was so fun to see the places that inspired my favorite scenes.

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

On my living room couch. Or my home office

Does writing energize or exhaust you? 

Both.  At times I feel invigorated when I’m writing and revising. Other times I feel so drained, and it’s like pulling teeth trying to hammer out even a hundred words. But I think that’s the nature of a creative pursuit like writing.  It’s very cyclical. Sometimes inspiration flows right through you; other times, it’s like getting blood from a stone.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

So many!  Probably a dozen (that I can remember off the top of my head.)

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

I only read good reviews when someone sends me one.  I don’t seek out reviews because, honestly, I don’t have very thick skin, and even accidentally seeing a bad review really bothers me.

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

Don’t worry about whether or not your writing is good.  It won’t be at first, but it doesn’t need to be.  What matters more is that you’re putting words on the page. You’ll get better the more you do it–you just have to actually do it. 

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

Hiking, napping, cooking, cuddling my cat.

What are your three favorite things right now? 

Psychology In Seattle YouTube channel, Tim Tams, aromatherapy candles.

Your favorite travel destination and why? 

Moab, Utah.  The scenery is breathtaking, and it has some of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever done. 

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

Shrimp scampi and Prosecco rosé.

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

Gemma Burgess, Conan O’Brien, Whitney Houston, Dr. Kirk Honda, Yoko Ogawa, and my mom.   

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

Romcom. And I’d LOVE if Shay Mitchell played me.  

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

The Act on Hulu. It was really suspenseful and depressing but so compelling and well acted.

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

Billionaire by Bruno Mars.

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

A Girl Like You by Gemma Burgess. It was the book that got me into writing romance.