What drew you to submit your work to RED SKIES?
I love Canada and have always enjoyed visiting there so when I saw where your press was located I became interested. I am also interested in the topic of mental health and think the more written about this subject the better.
How have you spent the year 2020?
I was working full time until Mid March then things sort of caved in. I like most people thought Covid would be temporary so for the first two weeks I enjoyed the pull back from and slow down of society. I am so sorry for the loss of life and all of the suffering that the world is going through now. Living through "interesting times" sucks.
Your two favourite genres include history and true crime. What excites you the most about either subject?
I love reading both those genres because they are innately compelling. The stakes are high and real change takes place. It's sort of a sure thing. Badly written sci fi or slapped together mysteries don't offer much but I get something out of reading historical or nonfictional crime novels regardless.
Are you engaged in any creative projects lately?
Yes, I am learning some new songs and practicing how to accompany myself on the piano. Singing keeps me sane. I've, also, been writing more poetry and am playing with the arrangement of a book of my strongest ones.
If you could only have one book during quarantine, what would it be?
That's difficult -- I guess, I'll cheat and say I'll take the biggest anthology of poetry I can find. Therefore, I'll get variety. This collection must contain poems by Dorothy Parker, Sherman Alexie, Gwendolyn Brooks, Edgar Allan Poe, Aurde Lorde, Robert Hayden, and e. e. cummings.
What has your process been like for writing novels? Have you changed your process much in the time between your first book and the most recent?
My process is always the same -- chaos. I have a very bad habit of making a lot of notes that go nowhere until they start to take shape and I go that direction. My novels tend to start off with a line of dialogue or an image rather than a plot. I think of novels as spending time with a loved one. I don't expect to be riveted every moment but there is a mood, a quality I'm left with. And when the drama comes -- stand back.