Interview with Chapter Break

• Who is your favorite character to write, and why is that person your favorite? If picking a favorite character would be like picking a favorite child, which character seems to be the most demanding or your attention and detail as a writer?

My answer to both these questions is the same—Emrys Somerled. That guy is always causing trouble. He is a challenging character to write because his motivations are well-hidden, even from me! Somerled has a very formal way of speaking with big, fancy words, unnecessary info-dumping, and no contractions of any kind. But he is also the most fun to write! Writing from his point of view is the most challenging thing for me but I enjoy trying.

• Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot and plan, or is your writing more organic?

I always create a detailed outline before I start writing. Then I create scene cards, a strategy discussed in ‘Story Genius,’ to make sure every scene actively contributes to character development. I jump around to different chapters and scenes when I write so a good outline helps me stay on track.

• What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?

This may come as a surprise, but I’ve always been a big urban fantasy fan! I love the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, the Cassandra Palmer series by Karen Chance, and the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger.

• Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in clinical social work in your writing?

Yes, I have been a mental health therapist for many years. The Saoirse Reilly series and all of its colorful characters are inspired almost exclusively by my work. Talking with literally hundreds of people from all different backgrounds has made it easier to really get into my characters’ heads.

• Do you identify with your main character or did you create a character that is your opposite?

I see Reilly as the person I could have been in a much darker timeline. There was a time in my life when I was suicidal and came close to having a serious problem with substances. In some ways we are the same, in others we are opposites.

• Describe the book/series in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.

Psychic detective decides if vulnerability is more terrifying than death.

• What is your favorite line from your book?

“Margaret, call me Maggie, Brinley was warmer than her brother in both coloring and reception of an unfamiliar woman with a gun.” For some reason, it reminds me a bit of fairy tales I read as a child.

• To date, what is your favorite (or most difficult) chapter you have ever written?

It’s actually from Dead Blood City, the first book in the Saoirse Reilly series. In Chapter 15, When the Trumpet Sounds, I got to explore two very different characters and their very different approaches to addressing past trauma. Aiden Ward discusses the strengths he gained because of, not in spite of, his struggles. Domenico Alderisi is revealed as the scared lost boy he really is.

• What is your take on book boyfriends? Do they actually exist? Or do they set the bar for “real life men” impossibly high?

I’ve always had book crushes. I don’t know about the term book boyfriend because I think it implies some kind of reciprocity. I definitely think male leads set the bar high, but the bar BETTER BE HIGH. A romantic partner should add something to your already fulfilled and happy life. Otherwise, what’s the point?

• What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love traveling with my husband, having long-winded discussions with loved ones about social constructionism, watching wedding shows, and reading!

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