15 Random Facts about Moi! :-D
Originally posted at the lovely Romance Novel Giveaways. ← Visit to enter the Giveaway and win a bundle of Romance books!
1. Creating worlds and characters has always been in my blood. Well before I physically learned to read or write, I’d dictate stories while my mom would jot them down for me.
2. I began my college career as a philosophy major (with an emphasis in metaphysics), but changed to film and media arts (specifically, screenwriting) about halfway through. Even though I’m primarily a novelist now, film school deepened my passion for crafting fiction tenfold. It taught me to concentrate on plotting, dynamic characters, and effective pacing, as well as the importance of visual storytelling. I wouldn’t trade my college education for anything in the world. ♥
3. My love affair with darker stories and characters began when I was a child. I loved Gothic tales (The Phantom of the Opera, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, etc.)—and the villains in Disney movies were often my favorite characters!
4. During college I wrote an edgy TV pilot entitled The Red Light District, which was chiefly based on a porn studio and actor. As part of my research, I spent a day at an actual porn shoot. And yes . . . I got to see and hear everything. While sitting only feet away. The experience was truly eye-opening and one of a kind—and the actor and actress were some of the nicest, most interesting individuals I’ve ever met.
5. I’m seriously an organizational freak. I plan my days out months in advance, and draw up detailed plot outlines and character sketches before ever beginning a new story. Though, I can certainly veer away from ritual and be a “pantser” when the manuscript calls for it.
6. I’ve been Richard, my amazing high school sweetheart, for over eleven years. We began dating during our freshman year and have been together ever since. He’s truly my soul mate and greatest inspiration . . . I’m so grateful to have found him at such a young age! :)
7. My list of favorite foods is highly diverse: French fries, yellow squash, broccoli, baby carrots, donuts, chunky almond butter, tuna, avocados, and chocolate, chocolate . . . and then some more chocolate.
Did I mention I ♥ chocolate? ;-)
8. What’s in a name? Everything! A ton of thought goes into the selection of my characters’ names. I always ensure their meanings symbolize the story in some way. For example, in Finding Gabriel, Ariah means “lioness” in Hebrew—and she, indeed, behaves very much like a mother lioness when it comes to protecting her loved ones. Plus, she is blonde and quite fierce at times. “Gabriel” represents one of the archangels in the Old and New Testament. (Though the story itself contains no religious undertones.)
9. When I was ten years old, my house was sieged by the SWAT Team. Rifles, handcuffs, surveillance of our house for several months prior . . . the whole nine yards. Long story short: my cousin and I had taken shirtless (and 10000% innocent) pictures of each other holding a Barbie doll . . . and an employee at Costco misinterpreted the photos, to put it mildly . . .
10. Aside from writing, some of my other hobbies include: playing the violin, singing (soprano), health and fitness, cooking, softball (pitcher), animals, and video games (yes, I’m a bit of a dork at heart).
11. Ariah Larochelle, the heroine of Finding Gabriel, was inspired by my mom (who is my personal heroine).
12. I have an entire kitchen drawer dedicated to GUM! :-P
The infamous gum drawer.
13. Extensive research went into Gabriel’s mental state and self-inflicted disfigurement to ensure its authenticity and detail. My dad is a surgeon, and his medical expertise proved invaluable.
14. I’m terrified of airplanes and upside down rollercoasters. Though, strangely enough, regular rollercoasters don’t rattle me the least bit.
15. A Kindled Winter, my steamy and heartfelt holiday romance (which will be released in November 2015), is my first contemporary novel and beta hero. Writing this story was an intensely personal experience due to the subject material.
Much ♥ and thank you for reading!
1. Creating worlds and characters has always been in my blood. Well before I physically learned to read or write, I’d dictate stories while my mom would jot them down for me.
2. I began my college career as a philosophy major (with an emphasis in metaphysics), but changed to film and media arts (specifically, screenwriting) about halfway through. Even though I’m primarily a novelist now, film school deepened my passion for crafting fiction tenfold. It taught me to concentrate on plotting, dynamic characters, and effective pacing, as well as the importance of visual storytelling. I wouldn’t trade my college education for anything in the world. ♥
3. My love affair with darker stories and characters began when I was a child. I loved Gothic tales (The Phantom of the Opera, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, etc.)—and the villains in Disney movies were often my favorite characters!
4. During college I wrote an edgy TV pilot entitled The Red Light District, which was chiefly based on a porn studio and actor. As part of my research, I spent a day at an actual porn shoot. And yes . . . I got to see and hear everything. While sitting only feet away. The experience was truly eye-opening and one of a kind—and the actor and actress were some of the nicest, most interesting individuals I’ve ever met.
5. I’m seriously an organizational freak. I plan my days out months in advance, and draw up detailed plot outlines and character sketches before ever beginning a new story. Though, I can certainly veer away from ritual and be a “pantser” when the manuscript calls for it.
6. I’ve been Richard, my amazing high school sweetheart, for over eleven years. We began dating during our freshman year and have been together ever since. He’s truly my soul mate and greatest inspiration . . . I’m so grateful to have found him at such a young age! :)
7. My list of favorite foods is highly diverse: French fries, yellow squash, broccoli, baby carrots, donuts, chunky almond butter, tuna, avocados, and chocolate, chocolate . . . and then some more chocolate.
Did I mention I ♥ chocolate? ;-)
8. What’s in a name? Everything! A ton of thought goes into the selection of my characters’ names. I always ensure their meanings symbolize the story in some way. For example, in Finding Gabriel, Ariah means “lioness” in Hebrew—and she, indeed, behaves very much like a mother lioness when it comes to protecting her loved ones. Plus, she is blonde and quite fierce at times. “Gabriel” represents one of the archangels in the Old and New Testament. (Though the story itself contains no religious undertones.)
9. When I was ten years old, my house was sieged by the SWAT Team. Rifles, handcuffs, surveillance of our house for several months prior . . . the whole nine yards. Long story short: my cousin and I had taken shirtless (and 10000% innocent) pictures of each other holding a Barbie doll . . . and an employee at Costco misinterpreted the photos, to put it mildly . . .
10. Aside from writing, some of my other hobbies include: playing the violin, singing (soprano), health and fitness, cooking, softball (pitcher), animals, and video games (yes, I’m a bit of a dork at heart).
11. Ariah Larochelle, the heroine of Finding Gabriel, was inspired by my mom (who is my personal heroine).
12. I have an entire kitchen drawer dedicated to GUM! :-P
The infamous gum drawer.
13. Extensive research went into Gabriel’s mental state and self-inflicted disfigurement to ensure its authenticity and detail. My dad is a surgeon, and his medical expertise proved invaluable.
14. I’m terrified of airplanes and upside down rollercoasters. Though, strangely enough, regular rollercoasters don’t rattle me the least bit.
15. A Kindled Winter, my steamy and heartfelt holiday romance (which will be released in November 2015), is my first contemporary novel and beta hero. Writing this story was an intensely personal experience due to the subject material.
Much ♥ and thank you for reading!
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