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Q: What inspired you to start writing?
My mother was an English major and my grandmother taught me to express my creativity in any way I enjoyed. At an early age, I realized writing prose that rhymed came naturally to me. That is how my writing journey started...
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Q: Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
I published "Music Maker's Brand Marketing, PR & Digital Strategy Survival Guide" in October 2025. Then I just published the sixth and final book in my "Six of One Half Doz of the Other" series for children of all ages, "The Stitchy Adventures of Black Widow & Ant." I am not very niche!
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Q: How do you create your characters?
For the children's books, most are animals so when I have created the concept or them for a book, I make sure the animal I choose is uniquely relevant and connected to the story. For instance, in my book, "The Shiny Shenanigans of Aunties & Squirrel," which covers gender role and career stereotypes, the narrator is a snail (which can be both genders or neither). The heroes are female squirrels who are actually the hunters of the species. They also have to be relatable so they are relevant to kids and to the adults who might be reading them.
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Q: What does your typical writing day look like?
Writing is a part-time gig for me but I write every day whether I am working on a book or not. The more I write, the better at writing I get.
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Q: What has been the most rewarding part of being an indie author?
When parents or children or therapists tell me how they connected with a book or character and it made them feel less alone or providing the opportunity for parents to have conversations with their kids they did not know how to start, whether that be climate change or bullying.
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Q: What’s one challenge you’ve faced in your writing journey?
If I'm not actively selling a book, I'm not selling a book. There is so much product available, and people are inundated with information and advertising, etc. that it is difficult to keep top of mind.
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Q: Do you have any favorite writing tools or apps?
The apps I use are for marketing purposes, such as CANVA.
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Q: What advice would you give to new or aspiring indie authors?
Stop thinking there will be a better time to start writing and publishing because you will always find a reason to wait. If you are reading this right now and are an aspiring author, stop reading this right now and start writing.
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Q: How do you handle book promotion as an indie author?
Front load all of your promotions at launch so you can make a mark on the sales charts, if you are using Amazon. A few of my books have hit #1 on actual sales, and a few have been listed by Amazon as "#1 New Release." You can use that for the rest of time as a marketing hook, and it adds to your credibility. But the most important thing you can do is get reviews posted on your sales platform. So if you are using Amazon, get as many customer reviews as possible right off the bat. I do an open request on all of my socials and ask if there is anyone who would review my book ahead of time and post a review around the day of launch. They are not incentivized, I do not see the reviews before they are posted, etc. But having at least 10 reviews on your book when it launches is a game-changer.
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Q: What’s next for you? Are you working on a new book?
I am writing a book about the life I have lived which is one that you could not make up...
