When did you first realize you wanted to be a storyteller?

From as long ago as I can remember, I loved reading stories. My favorite books were Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, and Curious George. I also loved hearing people tell them. And once I learned that I could tell my own stories, it was like I was given the most fantastic present ever. I find such joy in being able to take people away for a moment from real life and entertain, thrill, scare, and make them laugh.

What drew you to the mystery/thriller genre?

I’ve always been fascinated with doing puzzles. My father used to work on three separate puzzles with the pictures turned over. Writing a mystery is like that. You don’t know where it will lead when you start and you have to figure it out along the way.

Do you remember the first mystery you ever read that truly hooked you?

Curious George! The little monkey was always trying to solve some mystery, and that made me want to be a detective. After I discovered Batman, I was really hooked. In essence, that is what Batman is — a detective.

What makes a great mystery — the puzzle, the people, or the emotion?

Yes! A story is a combination of all of that and more, but those are the three legs of the stool. If one is missing, you can’t sit down at all, and if they’re not even, you’re not going to want to sit for very long. When you get them all adjusted, people will sit and stay until the tale is told. I write mysteries that I want to read, which is a good thing because I read them a hundred times before they’re published!

Tell us about your latest book, Murder at Kindle Creek. What inspired it?

Moving to Tennessee. They say write what you know, and since I’m a Bostonian who moved to Tennessee, I thought it would be exciting to craft a story about a Boston Detective going from the mean streets up North to the backwoods of the South.

What makes Magnolia, Tennessee, a setting readers will want to return to?

My hope is they fall in love with the characters as much as I do. Charlie Westbrook is trying to rebuild her life after the death of her husband, so she moves to his childhood town of Magnolia, Tennessee. The town is filled with people, and all of them have secrets.

How did your writing career begin?

It really began with Pure Of Heart. Because of a knee injury, my dance career ended, and my acting was put on hold. I needed some other avenue for my creativity to flow through, so I started writing and fell in love with it.

What was the hardest lesson you learned along the way?

Keep at it! Don’t stop!!! I listened to all of the naysayers who said I’d never write Pure of Heart and gave up on my dream. It took 20 years to get back to it. Maybe that’s why I write so fast — to make up for lost time.

What’s your writing process like — are you a meticulous plotter or an instinctive storyteller?

Both! I start with a plotted story but if it changes as it goes, that’s great. I adapt and re-plot. You need to be flexible in art and let the story develop and breathe. This is especially important when it comes to the beginning and ending chapters.

How do you keep readers guessing from the first page to the last?

One of the real joys in writing is getting into the reader’s mind, pretending I’m a reader, and trying to fake myself out. Let me give you an example. Way back when I was chained to a corporate desk, I attended a training class on the new telephone system. The instructor was all happy about a new feature that would let you deliver a message six months in advance. One person in the class said that the feature was stupid, and no one could use it. I picked up the phone, dialed myself, and left a message pretending to be an irate customer to be delivered six months away on Monday morning to myself. Six months later, I totally forgot about it, and there was a message waiting for me. I got so mad at the guy yelling at me on the voicemail, and then he started laughing, and I realized it was me, and I played a practical joke on myself. The moral of the story is you need to be a little crazy as a writer, put yourself in the reader’s shoes, and fake yourself out!

Do your characters ever surprise you as you write them?

All the time and I think that’s what makes them so real. Ask yourself the question, how well do you know your mother? You may know her as your mom, but what about knowing her as a co-worker, a friend or a rival? Do you know what she was like growing up? Her skills and desires? Everyone has a story and HUGE swaths of it are shrouded in mystery!

Are there any Easter eggs or subtle connections between your books?

All of them exist in one big world, except for the Dark series, which is my post-apocalyptic series. Someday, I hope to do a giant crossover where Jack, Alice, Kiku, Charlie, and all the others come together.

How do you balance mystery, emotion, and suspense in your stories?

I think they go hand in hand in the story like the melody of a symphony. They rise and fall, whisper and shout, growing into a crescendo of finally that hopefully leave the reader breathless and content.

What part of your own personality sneaks into your characters?

I think that the most significant part of my personality that sneaks in is the humor. I like to laugh and make others laugh as well. I do have a rebellious side that’s evident in lots of the characters, too.

What fascinates you most about human nature and crime?

All of it. Crime in itself is so strange. A criminal is crossing a line in their soul. I know people will argue with me and say that there are many people who feel that what they are doing is justified and that’s true but I believe they still know it is wrong. The first story was creation, which is so much better, but crime comes in a close second when Eve ate the apple and then tried to cover up her crime with fig leaves, and when that didn’t work, she went on the lamb. Why do people steal, lie, and kill and what will they do to keep from having their sins found out?

Have real-life events ever inspired your plots?

All the time. (But according to my attorney — NEVER! Not once!) I’m an extrovert and talk to everyone. It amazes me how some people think some event is trivial when it could be the trigger for a book! Like the drone hitting Kate in the head in One Little Lie. That part happened, the rest came from me wondering what if afterward….

How do you unwind after writing something dark or intense?

I have a newfound hobby of woodworking. My grandfather was a carpenter, and there’s something about crafting wood that is very relaxing and fulfilling. And, in the end, I’ve created something that will last.

What’s the strangest piece of research you’ve ever done for a book?

That’s a loaded question! From asking people about methods of murder to motives, I’ve covered the gamut, but the funniest one was when I first moved to Tennessee. I met an avid outdoorsman, and I kept peppering him with questions about bullets and blood. After a while, he gave me this concerned look and asked why I wanted to know about all that stuff. I realized that I hadn’t told him I was a writer, and it was research. He was greatly relieved to know that.

What can readers expect next from you?

Lots of new books! I can’t wait to bring some new series to life and dive back into the old ones. The more I write, the faster it goes because I learn more about the characters. I love spending time with my old friends and making new ones along the way!

How can fans stay connected with you or your work?

I always encourage fans to email me. I answer every email personally, so if they have questions or want to know what’s upcoming, a great way to do that is to sign up for my email list. Not only do they get two free novellas but they’ll get periodic emails about sales and new releases.