Kindergarten. I won a coveted "short story" contest and have been hooked ever since. My prize winning piece included some poorly drawn scenes, which I promise won't make an appearance in my later works.

I have always found the idea of past lives to be fascinating. Having experienced loss at a young age, I was always searching for some kind of explanation as to why these terrible things happen. When I began researching past lives and reading different accounts of regression, I fell in love the the idea of souls moving together throughout lifetimes. It gives such a bigger meaning to the word soulmates.

I grew up in Richmond, Virginia, but spent my summers on my grandparent's farm just outside of Petersburg. Both make an appearance in my novel, The Many Lives of Nathan James.

Right now I am working on a book about a group of kids attending a bereavement camp and how they are dealing with loss though their formative years. It's a subject very close to my heart. My hope is that young adults who have experienced a loss will read this and know they are not alone.

Rejection and Determination. After receiving numerous rejection letters from various publishers (I am still getting them to this day), it dawned on me that they are not the deciding factor of my success. I had worked far too hard to yield to rejection. A very good friend and fellow indie author, Nathaniel Kressen, introduced me to indie publishing and I never looked back. This book lives on the legs of my determination and my belief in it's ability to touch people's lives. Who would be a better ambassador for it than me?

I think if I didn't write, my head would explode. I like my head intact.

Covered with stacks of books, my laptop, a framed photo, a pen and note pad, a small vase with flowers and a candle. While it sounds a mess, it's actually quite curated.

My alarm. It's really annoying.

I like exploring new places for inspiration, whether it is a new restaurant or gallery opening or hoping a plane to a new travel destination.

It is only through platforms like Smashwords that I even have the opportunity to indie publish. Printing is expensive, but a hope for the future. For now, online distribution is what allows me to get the word out about my work to fellow readers.

Kindle Paperwhite. I love the look of pages in a print book and this is the closest thing on an e-reader!