Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in the small Texas town of Mineral Wells. It had an army helicopter training base on the outskirts of town, which meant we got an influx of people from other areas of the U.S. So, not your typical small town as far as inhabitants. However, I moved from there to Arkadelphia, Arkansas, another small town. I've lived in large cities since then, but always chose to remain on the outskirts, where it had a more small-town feel. Writing as Carol Burnside, my Sweetwater Springs series is based in a fictitious small Arkansas town.
What's the story behind your latest book?
At this point in time, that would be Bittersweet Obsessions. My Crainesian race has pretty unique mating habits and customs. I like to turn things on their heads and see what shakes out. In doing so, I wondered what would happen if a Crainesian woman (Teriza) found her lifemate (Deacon), but couldn't claim him because he was already married to a Human (Sallie)? That was the premise behind the story, then it grew into two very sexy love stories. Of course, I wanted my heroine to have a HEA, so I brought Paul into the picture. I really like the way it turned out. I hope my readers will, too.
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