Well, to be honest, I was always drawn to writers like Dean Koontz and Stephen King, so when I envisioned the types of stories I would write one day, I always figured they would automatically fall into the ‘horror’ category. The funny thing about Betrayals is that it happened by accident in the sense that, when I was trying to tap into that “great big library in the sky” (you know…the place where all good stories come from) for my next idea, I must’ve wandered into the wrong section. And once I had the concept of the story it simply took over. Everything else was shelved and the more the idea developed in my mind, the more I started to think that I so wanted to live in that world.

I've been writing since my early teens. My friends and family can attest to the fact that back then, wherever I went, my ugly blue typewriter went with me. And the thing weighed a ton! I started taking writing a lot more seriously a couple of years ago and Catch, my debut novel, was agented and came very close to being published. But you know what they say about near misses… It was disappointing, sure, but I got to work with some amazing people during that time and will forever be indebted to them, because my writing would be nowhere near where it is today without them.

Let me start by saying that my main goal when I set out to create these characters and the world around them, was to make the book fun and easy to read. I think there’s enough doom and gloom out there. Grim’s Peak is a colorful, vibrant place filled with interesting people and places, not to mention the sometimes uncooperative fauna and flora, and I’m hoping readers will love going there as much as I do. It’s a place where you can just kind of take a break from things, catch your breath and come out feeling good.

I’ve never really thought of myself as being particularly creative. In his book, On Writing, Stephen King said that all writing is telepathy, and I agree with that wholeheartedly. I know it sounds a little weird, but I think whoever it is that is beaming the story down into my brain is the creative one. I’m just the conduit, and my job really is just to put it down on paper and not interfere too much.

Not really. I don’t like to base my characters on people that I know for the simple reason that I want them to be free to develop on their own, rather than become what I like to call a “factory-character,” and by that - I mean a character put together on a figurative assembly line, made to fit into a prefabricated mold. Whenever I try to steer the story in any particular direction is when it usually ends with disastrous results! The funny thing is if you were to see the prep notes I made before I started and compared them to the final result, you’d think someone else wrote it.

I didn’t set out to do that. At least, not intentionally. However, by creating characters like Earl, Marge, Fife, and mostly, Hiram, I suppose I did it indirectly because that’s who those characters are, and during the writing process I make every effort to give them the freedom to say whatever they are going say. A lot of times I’ll look at a finished sentence and think, wow…I had no idea you were going to say that!

As far as Marge and Earl go; I know that every great story lives or dies by the conflict in it. If everything went perfectly, and every character was perfect, there just wouldn’t be much of a story to tell. So, in that aspect, I’m sure this story might have been a little more interesting on some level had Augie indeed been raised by ogres masquerading as humans, but I don’t necessarily think hardship and mental toughness are mutually exclusive. Sometimes coming from a stable, happy home environment will make you just as tough as the next guy (or gal).

Lightning by Dean Koontz, for the simple reason that after I put that book down I knew I wanted to become a writer.

Not to touch the hippocamps! No, in all seriousness I think one thing you could take from this story is to treasure your friends; you’re going to need them when things go ‘pear-shaped.’

I am. I’ve read all the books and have seen all the movies. However, were Mira and Bella to ever face off, my money would be on Mira all the way! She’s tough, independent, strong willed, and smart; someone I’m hoping young girls in particular can look up to.

The second book is still in the development stage. Nothing on paper just yet. It’s hard to say exactly how many books there will be in the series. Grim’s Peak is just one small corner of the world ‘down there’ and I’m really looking forward to introducing readers to the rest of it. The possibilities are endless, but I can tell you it probably won’t be less than 4 or 5 books.