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Honestly, the initial idea was sparked by The Little Mermaid. I wanted to start writing again, but I didn't feel that any of my ideas were developed enough at the time. I'd been reading a lot of fairytale retellings at the time and thought, why not try doing one of my own. Once I started planning it out, however, the story started taking shape as it veered from The Little Mermaid and turned further and further into this new and exciting story, with new twists and a new voice, that became present-day Siren.

The dialogue, for sure. Writing a story with a natural balance of realistic dialogue and vivid descriptions is a challenge in itself, but writing from the perspective of a mute protagonist provided an extra challenge for me. Ashlyn's mutism has been so much fun to explore, but when it's come to including conversation using ASL and spoken dialogue from the other characters, it has been a struggle to get it right at times, especially when the communication is occurring with someone who is not skilled with sign language. I've had to be considerate of what dialogue has been used, and I've spent a lot of time trying to find the right words for each character to say.

Siren has been doing really well so far, and it has blown my mind to see so many people loving the story, and being able to hear just how much it means, and the characters have come to mean, to other people has been an incredible experience. I never could have expected that Siren would reach this many people, and to see where it is now, as it approaches its first birthday, I'm often left speechless. Siren has been added to the featured stories reading lists on both the Romance and the Chick-Lit profiles and has also placed in several user-run contests. I have some of the most amazing readers and supporters, and I could never thank them enough for how well they have responded to this story. They're amazing, and I owe so much to them!

The relationship dynamics between Ashlyn and Derek. Their relationship is very much push and pull, as they navigate through the grief and the guilt that tries to dictate how they each respond, and it has been such a joy to see the raw emotion that exists between them. They are two of the sweetest characters I've written to date, and I love being able to share every stage of their relationship with my readers as they both learn what it is to love and be loved. It is very much a slow burn, but there are still those moments of raw intensity, and I love it - sometimes they surprise even me! And seeing how invested the readers become in their relationship is the best feeling too (even if I make them wait, lol).

Siren was always supposed to be a stand-alone, a sweet little Romance to help rekindle my passion for storytelling. But then, recently as I was writing a scene with a side character who only features twice in the story, I found myself diving deeper into her backstory and feeling this strong desire to share it with my readers, and so a new story concept was born. While Siren can still be read as a standalone, I am now in the planning phase for a new story, Tides, that will be centered around this side character and a transformative part of her life. Again, this story will still be able to be read as a stand-alone, but it will be borrowing a minor character from Siren.

Honestly, there are so many things that I would love for my readers to take away from this story, but I think the biggest thing, and the most important lesson that both Ashlyn and Derek learn, and that I have learned myself in writing this, is that we shouldn't discount the power and difference a little kindness and a supportive community can make in another person's life. When we are kind, and when we band around others showing that they are seen and that they are valued, it shows that person that they are not invisible, they are not forgotten, and they are not alone. It is so important, in my opinion, that we are doing this and that we are cultivating this kind of supportive community atmosphere. If reading Siren can help even just one person to better understand the impact that this can have on a person's life, then what more could I ask?

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As tempting as it can be to look at what other people are doing, and the success they seem to be having, it is so important that you stay focused on the story that you are trying to tell and that you realize that when you are comparing your story to someone else's, you are comparing apples with pears. We each set out with a story to tell, and the ways in which we go about doing that, the audiences we reach, the techniques we employ, and the style and the voice that we write with is going to be different, and that's okay. What's important is that we keep on telling our stories, giving them a voice to be heard, because, in the end, no one else can tell it the way that you are. Focus on your story, finish your story, then celebrate the successes that come your way (and don't forget to celebrate the fact that you wrote a flippin' story!)

A lot of her quirks are ones that I also have. When I am nervous or uncomfortable in a situation, I will rub and scratch at my arms (not to the extent that Ashlyn does), so I was very surprised when I noticed that I wrote Ashlyn doing the exact same thing (it was not intentional). I also chew on my bottom lip...a lot, so I guess she inherited that quirk from me too.

The fact that this story is so much more than just a romance. Yes, there are a lot of cute and fluffy scenes and a slow-burning attraction and relationship between Ashlyn and Derek that sets their worlds on fire. But it's also a story about people overcoming their fears, a woman learning to step out from behind her walls and let people close enough to love despite the risk of pain and heartache. A guy learning the value of forgiveness. It's a story about grief, and guilt, rising and falling, hope and fear, and in the end, it's a story about trusting your heart and showing your past that it doesn't get to define you.

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I have a couple of future projects that are in the outlining and drafting phases at the moment, and I'm looking to start writing and/or posting over the next couple of months.

The first is Tides which I mentioned briefly earlier. That'll be another sweet Romance about a woman going through a rough divorce who ends up filing a restraining order against her ex and leaving town with her young daughters to start fresh in a new town. There's going to be a cheeky grandma, a sweet Scot, and lots of dancing and fun (and of course a splash of tension and drama).

In the next couple of months, I'm hoping to start posting Desert Song, a multicultural romance, set in the jungles of Thailand just outside of a refugee camp. This story will actually be a blend of some of my personal experiences working with the Karen refugees and will incorporate a lot of their stories and experiences too, while also adding a few fictional events too, and I'm so excited about this one! It's going to be great!!

I am also participating in ONC for the first time this year, working on a Dark Romance about the clash of morals and the battle for freedom and justice for those who are exploited through slavery and sex-trafficking. This is quite different from what I have written before and is a heavy topic compared to most of my works, but it's a challenge I'm hopeful that I'll be able to rise to.