I should probably say something like my responsibilities, my job, or even the prospect of writing a new book. Ultimately, it's the thought of that first cup of coffee that allows me to tumble out of bed and stumble zombie-like into the kitchen. Sometimes if I'm at a point in my project that has me really excited I'll get out of bed faster, but coffee always comes first.

I grew up in relatively small town in Oregon called Roseburg. It's a lumber town and we're a pretty tight community. That Douglas Fir, Christmas tree in your living room? You're welcome. Umpqua Dairy? Yup. Brought to you by the good folks of Douglas County. As you can see, I am not shy about shamelessly promoting my hometown.
I think the scenery influenced my writing a lot. There's a scene from The Red Door that I was inspired by from a park out in Lookingglass. It's a park that my family and I went to a lot when I was a kid.
I've noticed that my writer's "voice" is heavily influenced by my upbringing. I'll be writing something, like an answer to an interview question and Grammarly will say "that's not right, you fool!" (It doesn't really say that, of course).

Having just wrapped up The Red Door, the first book in the Dreamscape series, I am excited to start the next installment, The Black Door and the Agents of Shade. It tells the story of Sarah Hollins, years after Killian and Ayala. These stories contain elements of romance, suspense, and fantasy fiction. I use symbolism to help create depth beyond the plot line.
Also, I have a thriller/suspense in the making. However, it is still a long way off. I like exploring the different styles of writing and adding an element of my own to the work.

I don't remember the first story that I ever wrote. I was probably just a kid and didn't think anything of it. I do, however, remember the first poem I ever wrote. My mom woke me up on the morning of September 11, 2001, to show me something on the news. I was in the sixth grade so I didn't fully understand the importance. I just remember it was bad, and the horror on my mom's face said it all. I sat down that morning and wrote my very first poem called A Note to God, which was more of a prayer. Later that year, our teacher told us about a writing contest and I submitted my poem on the offchance it could get published, and it did, in A Celebration of Young Poets.

With the first book, A Road of Prayer, it was just a collection of poems I had free-written over the years. I put the book together as a way to figure out how to self-publish, sort of test the waters and prepare for when I would publish my novel. I learned a lot with that first book and found that I really enjoyed it.
The Red Door started out with an idea, followed by a lot of research into dream interpretation, animal guides, and symbolism. From that, I put the story together. I started The Black Door by actually sitting down and writing a five-page outline, as well as the research before I started writing the book.
Basically, my process varies from orderly research and plot diagrams ​to chaotic free writing and "winging it".

I have no desk. I have a laptop, a file folder for each book, and legal pads (which I absolutely love) for notes. My desk varies from my sister's desk in the living room, to the dining room table, to the bed, and sometimes a coffee shop. When I travel all my materials go in my backpack and I'm ready to go.

When I'm not writing, I am usually working. However, it's not all work and no play. I love spending time with my niece and nephew. They love playing board games.
In the summertime, I really love going out for hikes or walks and taking pictures. That's where I get my photos for Road of Prayer books. I get so wrapped up in the beauty of it all. Once, I almost got lost in the woods at Howard Prairie Lake.

For poetry, I enjoy Edgar Alan Poe and Emily Dickinson. Poe has an element of tragic sadness in his work, as well as, the darker side of human nature. I love Dickinson's use of capitalization in her work to emphasize certain words. You may notice I utilize this in my own poetry.
For fantasy fiction, I absolutely love Tamora Pierce. I grew up reading her series. My favorite by far is The Protector of the Small series, as a young girl, ​I was really inspired by the main character.

The most effective social media site I have found is Twitter. There are a lot of other independent authors on there that reach out and support each other. I especially love the #1linewed where you pull a line from your book based on that week's theme. It gives people a sneak peek into your book and helps get your name out there.
I would say that collaborating with other authors is the best way to market your work. I am very blessed to have started my career with a friend, Destyni Shirley, who was already an independent author when I came on the scene.
If I could give other authors advice I would say DO NOT SPEND MONEY. Market your books for free wherever you can. Spending money on ads and promotions won't get you too far.

My latest finished book or current work in progress? My latest finished book The Red Door is really about dealing with anxiety and depression, and how we deal with it. This is something that I, myself, have struggled with for years, and writing this book was really cathartic. I discovered that it was only by my faith in God that I have survived the severe anxiety attacks (and they used to be really bad) and the episodes of depression.

I sort of stumbled into the indie author life. I always thought when someone published a book it was through a publishing company. Then a friend of mine self-published his book. Again, I never really thought anything of it. Publishing a book was just a goal on my bucket list until I decided to go ahead with A Road of Prayer. I had so much fun exploring the process that I knew I wanted to keep doing it. It helped give me the push I needed to finish The Red Door. When, after all of the hard work, I realized that I enjoyed it and was not deterred by obstacles, I knew that I had found my passion.