Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in a rural area of Pennsylvania and I believe it's one reason I write in a more "down-home" easy-going style. I write about relationships between family members, hardworking people, blue-collar works, I guess you would say. I am heavily influenced and inspired by the hard working farm families around me, the factory workers, the truck drivers, the every day people who keep our country running.
I still live in the area I grew up and the beautiful scenery is another inspiration for my writing.
What's the story behind your latest book?
My latest book focuses on a farming family in rural Pennsylvania. I started with the love story first and then branched out to write a little bit about the farmers themselves because I had been working on a visual project through my photography featuring small farms in my area. During that project I met several local farmers who were, and are still, struggling with the ups and downs (mainly downs) in the farming market today, especially in the dairy industry.
So, The Farmer's Daughter follows the story of Molly Tanner who has always lived on the farm and wonders if there might be something else out in the world for her. While she wonders, though, she starts to notice what she already has at home, including the attention of her older brother's best friend who now works for the Tanner family. She also begins to worry about the future of her family's farm as she learns about a loan her family took out to keep the business running, but that is now coming due.
