What have you been reading lately?
My reading ranges from nonfiction through to fiction. I recently finished “We Need Your Art” by Amie McNee and am currently reading (and laughing as I read) “Dreyer’s English” by Benjamin Dreyer. But I’m also reading “Blood’s Echo” by Isabella Maldonado. (We won’t discuss the ever-growing “to read” pile.)
What first sparked the idea for the book, and how did it evolve from that initial moment of inspiration?
The idea for Dancing in the Purple Rain came from those internet challenges back in the 2010s. But not a nice challenge… rather a frightening one that hit global news.
The “Momo Challenge” was rumored to be a user by the name of Momo, harassing children and teenagers to perform dangerous acts, including violence against others, self-harm, and suicide. My children were in their early teens at the time, and the parent in me was freaking out about this “Momo” thing. However, the social media expert (and writer) in me was fascinated by the lingering effects. It didn’t matter that it was a hoax. Just the simple thought that anyone could come up with this and propel it onto the global stage…
My writer brain grabbed hold of the idea and started playing around with it, asking that famous “What if…?” question.
But it wasn’t until Covid hit some years later that I was finally able to get the story onto paper. The final piece I needed for the “lie” my main character was being told fell into place when the mRNA vaccines was released to the world.
Can you describe your writing routine—where, when, and how you tend to write best?
I’m an early bird, so I’m often up and at my desk in my home office from around 7 am every morning. (Weekdays, anyway.) It’s a silent space that I can control the temperature of, and I have a view of the birds and clouds outside.
Occasionally, I’ll grab the laptop and head out to a local library, joining other writers for a write-in. But most of the time, it’s just me, myself, and the sounds of the clicking keys.
But I don’t write every day. We occasionally need to recharge the creative well, and I’m confident enough within my skills to sometimes just take the day off.
Are you a pantser of a plotter? In other words, do you plan your stories before writing them?
I’m a plantser, a hybrid between a plotter and a panster. I need to have a sense of certain benchmark points within the story, but I have no idea what the twists or turns will be until I actually write them. It makes it fun for me, because I don’t know what the story truly is until it’s on the page.
Was there a particular part that proved especially challenging to write?
The challenges change from project to project. For Dancing in the Purple Rain, the hardest part was creating the memory loss aspects without becoming repetitive within memories as the main character relearns them. It was difficult to find the balance between the reader being confused and the reader being bored as the main character relived the same event, again and again.
But I got there, and I’m proud of how it came out.
Which authors, books, or artistic influences (literary or otherwise) have shaped your voice the most?
I’m highly influenced by the technothriller books and films from the 1980s and 1990s. I loved Michael Crichton books in my teens. And I was super-excited when a writing buddy told me that the cover for Dancing in the Purple Rain had that Bladerunner feel. But for a map of writing styles, I’ve taken to admiring the works by Mary Robinette Kowal. I just adore her Lady Astronaut series.
What do you most hope readers feel or think about after finishing the book?
In truth, I just hope that readers feel like they were taken on a fun ride filled with intrigue and adventure. Sure, there will likely be elements of the story that stick with the reader long after they finish (what writer doesn’t want that), but we often choose books to escape from our realities for a time. So, why not go on an adventure into a dark and sinister world?
What advice would you give to other aspiring indie writers?
Learn to say “No.”
The publishing industry is geared up with so many trials and hurdles. By the time we get anywhere that might resemble a finish line, we happily accept the bone we were tossed, not realizing that it was someone’s offcut. And the moment we try to fight back, to actually get some of the meat, we’re looked down on as being ungrateful. But asserting ourselves to protect our creative endeavors is not being ungrateful. It’s being smart.
We need to feel confident enough to say “No” to the editor who wants us to rewrite a story, taking it away from our vision. And we need to be able to say “No” to that publishing contract with dangerous clauses in it (and possibly signing our rights away). And we need to say “No” to that latest online platform that publicists are insisting we sign up for.
But we also need to be able to say “No” to the family and friends who falsely believe that because we’re home that we’re not busy.
There are so many instances where we need to just say “No” for the sake of our mental sanity, our productivity, our reputations, and our writing careers.
And for those who really struggle to just say “No,” try the following: “I’m exercising my right to say no.”
Anything else you want to add?
Just that I’m honored that my book was named the best book overall for 2025. We writers spend so much time in our own little bubbles that it’s near impossible to know if what we
wrote will resonate with others or not. But it clearly did resonate. And that idea alone has given me the fuel I needed to keep writing and to keep doing what I do.
Thank you!
You can check out Dancing in the Purple Rain here!
