https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBJGL2ZJ
The Chronicles of the Cove looks like an exciting story. Can you tell us a
little about it?
The Chronicles were initially inspired by my childhood memories on Sanibel. Like the family in the books, my own family moved across the country from Oregon to Florida when I turned nine. Florida is so different from the Pacific Northwest, and I often felt like I was stepping into a story out of National Geographic. The animals and plants all looked prehistoric. Every summer afternoon, the air would turn electric with humidity boiling over into thunderous storms. It felt like I got to touch something magical. I wanted to capture some of that feeling in these books, especially as an adult looking back on her childhood. And so I did!
While books are heavily
inspired by my real-life adventures around the island, they are far more
fantastical on the page than they were in real life. This time, the magic is
real. The animals talk; mermaids are more than just manatee-inspired myths; and
were-gators roam the palm-lined roads.
Any plans to turn it into a series?
Oh, yes, I have already
written the first ten books. Once I get the hang of self-publishing down
(perhaps get a few more publishings under my belt), I look forward to writing
the next ten!
How long did it take you to write the Chronicles of the Cove?
Believe it or not, I wrote
the entire series so far in the last quarter of 2021. The company I was working
for at the time shut down overnight, and I was searching for something to do
while I transitioning to running my own business. I believe I started around
September of that year and finished the final book on Christmas Eve. I still
can’t quite believe it!
What motivated you to become a writer?
I always loved stories. My
parents told me different bedtime stories every night as a little one. Later
on, I fell in love with books. I had a friend in elementary and middle school
that had the same passion for books as I did, and we would spend hours debating
the nuances of the texts. But it was my middle school language arts teacher
that constantly encouraged me to try my hand at telling the stories I so loved
to read about. She was one of those wonderful teachers the found the popular
books of the time and read them aloud to us using all the silly voices. After
she read the Percy Jackson series to us, we took her to the movie when it came
out. She was well-loved, and her love for her students would inspire all of us.
How did you come up with the title to your book?
I was walking my dog in the
evening with my partner, and we were spitballing all sorts of silly names. I
threw out, the Chronicles of the Cove,
and it stuck. That’s how all
the book names were decided! Walking with my partner and my dog out at night,
once it had cooled a bit in the evening, coming up with silly names and hoping
one would work.
What part of the book was the most fun to write?
My favourite parts are
always coming up with the characters. I love designing monsters and the places
they might inhabit! Why have a werewolf when I can have a were-gator? Why not
turn no-see-ums into pesky little pixies?
What was your hardest scene/section to write?
Action scenes! It is
certainly tough injecting urgency into a scene. Real-life action is often
remembered in flashes. Writing action in such a way that it doesn’t drag out, explaining
something that the reader might not have experienced firsthand, clearly and
concisely... very tough. But a fun challenge!
What do you like to do when not writing?
I teach English as a second
language; I do Cross-Fit with my partner, and we love to play tabletop
roleplaying board games with our friends. Other than that, I am constantly,
incessantly reading!
Where can readers find out more about your work?
Readers can find out more
about my work at the Chronicles of the
Cove FaceBook page, @CoveChronicles on Twitter, and @ChroniclesoftheCove on
Instagram.