I wanted the community of characters to be the central theme. I have all these characters I love, Corinne, Angela, Violet, Clive and lots of family around them; I wanted them all to get a part to play in the growth of the community. I love books that have different points of view and I wanted the challenge of doing that with book 3 of the series.

Perhaps a little bit of rebellion.. if I am perfectly honest. I love the Christian book genre but there is certainly some issues that I have noticed that are completely off-limits to talk about. I wanted to be able to publish books that challenge Christian readers, no skirting issues, or making a character perfect to fit the mold of a perfect Christian. Because no one is.
Being an Indie Author to me means I get to let the inspiration go where it flows, not where a publisher tells me too.

Early on in self-publishing I figured I would sell mostly to family and friends, but within the first year of publishing my first book I was getting emails from all over the United States. I was blown away. Men and women were connecting with what I wrote.
Just knowing that the struggles of my characters, that sometimes mirror things that happened in my own life, was meaningful to an audience is beyond words.
I hope that every word I write continues to reach out and touch people. I just love hearing from my readers and connecting with them through all the avenues available today. We are in an amazing age for authors.

My current WIP (work in progress) is Daughters of the Valley, book 3 of the Wildflowers Series. It will be done before summer 2014. I have one more in the series before I take a small break to work on a historical mystery series that has been in the works for a year or two.
I believe the Wildflower series has the potential for many books, as the new characters and stories unfold. I am hoping to keep my readers happy.

I am a busy gal. Currently in recovery from some medical issues but still keeping busy. I consult with other authors, doing professional computer work from home, designing book covers, formatting - geek stuff.
My teenage daughter has a busy soccer schedule. Hmmm... puppy snuggling, crime TV addict, bible study, reading & singing. There is a decent snapshot. :)

I remember in elementary school writing a story about a butterfly beauty contest. There was another one with unicorns and trolls. Yep, I was a complete girly-girl.

I know everyone has their own way. I tend to plot out my stories as much as I can, then as I write my characters try to derail all my plans.
I currently have five books in my head, it gives me something to think about all the time. I am never bored.

I went to college for graphics & design so the cover creation is a big part of the fun. I spend countless hours going through photography sites to find images to use for me or authors I work with. I love finding something that is beautiful and will reach out and grab readers.
I use Photoshop and Aperture a lot.

In most cases I have 2 simple rules for getting the cover right.
Put a pretty girl on the front.
Make it look professional!!

I read a lot of romance, historical and crime thrillers. I am pretty random. I spend a lot of time in research too. I am such a nerd.

I first starting writing when I was young. Couldn't really stop myself.
Had some discouragement in college, creative writing teacher was very cruel about my romantic writing style. I worked on and off on a book for over 15 years before I got the nerve to self-publish.
I believe it was all in God's timing. I am so proud of what I get to do. I am so glad I never gave up.

I love letting the characters come to life. The process is amazing to me. I feel so blessed that I get to do this.

Getting to create the book covers is also pretty fun. :)