Thank you for stopping by All About A Book and a very warm welcome to you!
Where are you from? Tell us about yourself.
I grew up in a small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, similar to the fictional setting of Heron Island in Wind Chime Café. I currently live in San Diego, California but I move around a lot.
I grew up in a small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, similar to the fictional setting of Heron Island in Wind Chime Café. I currently live in San Diego, California but I move around a lot.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love to read, bake, garden, watch movies, spend time at the ocean, and hang out with friends.
I love to read, bake, garden, watch movies, spend time at the ocean, and hang out with friends.
Tell us about your book, what inspired you to write Wind Chime Café?
Wind Chime Café is about a Navy SEAL who returns to his hometown for the first time in ten years to sell his grandparents’ inn, and ends up falling in love with a woman who’s opening a café on the island. I’ve always wanted to write a small-town romance about a Navy Seal, and I had been reading a lot about veterans’ issues and PTSD before I started writing this book. When I was sketching out initial ideas for storylines, I realized I really wanted to explore some of those real-life issues in a heartwarming romance with a happily ever after ending.
Wind Chime Café is about a Navy SEAL who returns to his hometown for the first time in ten years to sell his grandparents’ inn, and ends up falling in love with a woman who’s opening a café on the island. I’ve always wanted to write a small-town romance about a Navy Seal, and I had been reading a lot about veterans’ issues and PTSD before I started writing this book. When I was sketching out initial ideas for storylines, I realized I really wanted to explore some of those real-life issues in a heartwarming romance with a happily ever after ending.
How did you come up with the title of your book?
I’ve always loved wind chimes and I thought it would be fun to create a café that was decorated with all kind of quirky wind chimes that the heroine and her daughter made by hand.
I’ve always loved wind chimes and I thought it would be fun to create a café that was decorated with all kind of quirky wind chimes that the heroine and her daughter made by hand.
How do you develop your characters? Do you have a favorite character in Wind Chime Café?
I create characters who I’d like to meet and who I’d want to be friends with. Before I begin writing, I spend a few weeks interviewing my characters. I have pages of questions that I ask them, and I jot down their answers in a journal until I get a really clear understanding of who they are. My favorite character in Wind Chime Café is Will. I loved experiencing his transformation from hardened warrior to believing that he deserved love, family and a home again.
I create characters who I’d like to meet and who I’d want to be friends with. Before I begin writing, I spend a few weeks interviewing my characters. I have pages of questions that I ask them, and I jot down their answers in a journal until I get a really clear understanding of who they are. My favorite character in Wind Chime Café is Will. I loved experiencing his transformation from hardened warrior to believing that he deserved love, family and a home again.
Which three characters in this book would you like to invite to a dinner party?
Will, Annie and Della. Will because he’s a gorgeous Navy SEAL, Annie because she’s someone I’d like to be friends with, and Della because she’s hilarious and would bring something amazing to eat for dessert.
Will, Annie and Della. Will because he’s a gorgeous Navy SEAL, Annie because she’s someone I’d like to be friends with, and Della because she’s hilarious and would bring something amazing to eat for dessert.
What do you think readers will like most about Annie, the main character in this book?
Her strength and determination to provide a better life for her daughter.
Her strength and determination to provide a better life for her daughter.
What is your favorite part of this book?
My favorite part of this book is the friendship that forms between Will and Taylor. They have both suffered tragic experiences in their past that have shaped who they are now and only they can understand the kind of healing the other one needs to go through to feel whole again.
My favorite part of this book is the friendship that forms between Will and Taylor. They have both suffered tragic experiences in their past that have shaped who they are now and only they can understand the kind of healing the other one needs to go through to feel whole again.
Is there anything specific you would like your fans to remember about this book or the characters after reading Wind Chime Café?
I think the main message in this book is that no matter how dark life seems there is always hope. And the only way to find it is through love, friendships and family. I think that’s the message in all my books. J
I think the main message in this book is that no matter how dark life seems there is always hope. And the only way to find it is through love, friendships and family. I think that’s the message in all my books. J
What do you like best about being an author?
Creating stories that touch readers, characters that they can relate to, and worlds they would want to visit in real-life.
Creating stories that touch readers, characters that they can relate to, and worlds they would want to visit in real-life.
Where do you write?
I write at home, listening to music. I drink lots of coffee during the day and I usually wrap up my last hour of writing with a Guinness. J
I write at home, listening to music. I drink lots of coffee during the day and I usually wrap up my last hour of writing with a Guinness. J
How many books do you plan to write in this series?
Lots! As many as my readers want.
Lots! As many as my readers want.
Do you plan to write any other book series in the future?
I will most likely continue writing books in my popular Seal Island Trilogy, a collection of modern-day fairy tales set on an enchanted Irish island. I have several top-secret ideas percolating for that series at the moment. J
I will most likely continue writing books in my popular Seal Island Trilogy, a collection of modern-day fairy tales set on an enchanted Irish island. I have several top-secret ideas percolating for that series at the moment. J
What do you like to read?
I love reading women’s fiction with a touch of magic and heartwarming small-town contemporary romances. A few of my favorite authors are Alice Hoffman, Susanna Kearsley, Cathy Lamb, and Sarah Addison Allen.
I love reading women’s fiction with a touch of magic and heartwarming small-town contemporary romances. A few of my favorite authors are Alice Hoffman, Susanna Kearsley, Cathy Lamb, and Sarah Addison Allen.
