I grew up visiting historical sites and events with my parents, and my active imagination started producing stories from a very young age…always historical romance. I was almost published right out of college, but it wasn’t until my younger daughter was taking naps and in preschool that I had time to write my first published novella, Redeeming Grace, now re-released as A Summer at the Niagara of the South. I love to bring back to life historical settings that have vanished, as is the case for the resorts that once surrounded North Georgia’s Tallulah Gorge with its spectacular waterfalls. Now over twenty of my titles have been published, most of them traditionally.
How do you go about doing research for your books?
I have a whole PowerPoint on my methods of research! LOL. To try to put it in a nutshell, I start with online research, order books, conduct interviews, take research trips, gather maps and documents, and create an extensive historical timeline into which I plug my fictional plot points.
How do you go about doing research for your books?
I have a whole PowerPoint on my methods of research! LOL. To try to put it in a nutshell, I start with online research, order books, conduct interviews, take research trips, gather maps and documents, and create an extensive historical timeline into which I plug my fictional plot points.
How do you choose a time period?
I often select a time period based on a unique historical event I want to incorporate. I enjoy writing stories set from Colonial times through Civil War best, though I have also written some Gilded Age novels as well as contemporary ones like The Curator’s Secret. History usually plays a big part even in my modern tales. 
The mentor for my Georgia Gold Series, John Kollock, helped launch my career. The neat thing was that he wasn’t in the publishing industry. He was a historical print artist who lent me books and his family’s diaries for research. Then he painted my cover art and attended signings with me. He was so well known in Northeast Georgia that his name alone opened doors for a newbie author. So never discount help from unexpected quarters!
Marketing is the biggest key to making sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produced more sales rather than just clicks?
My publishers usually handle marketing for me, thank goodness, because I prefer to concentrate on writing and editing. I’m Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, so editing consumes the majority of my time. And I love it almost as much as writing. That doesn’t mean I don’t work hard to help market my titles, including active social media engagement, newsletter swaps, multi-author events, and lots of in-person events.
What do you know now about writing that you wished you had known sooner?
One thing I learned goes along with what I shared about my historical mentor—that writing is not a solo endeavor. Other authors have often opened doors for me as well, whether it’s to join a collection that expands my platform or gets me in with a new publisher, or for some type of position or employment. We truly aren’t competing with each other. As Christian authors, we’re here to lift each other up.
A completely new author should study publishing expectations in their genre before submitting their work to agents or editors. Also have a grasp on what a particular publisher wants in terms of style, length, and formula. For instance, at Wild Heart Books, we seek historical romances in series, written in deep point of view roughly half hero/half heroine perspective, in the expected romance format (hero and heroine meet early and are together through most of the novel and have a happy ending).
A number of authors who send proposals are completely unfamiliar with deep point of view writing style and/or are actually sending us historical fiction rather than historical romance. That’s just an example of the type of mismatch that can prevent publication. It’s a great idea to take classes, read books on writing craft, and work with other experienced authors and critique partners who can help prepare you for publication.
Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
To tag onto what I shared in the last question, it’s good idea to have someone experienced do some beta reading of your manuscript, or if you can, hire an editor to make sure the manuscript is up to a publisher’s standard.
What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
The Songbird and the Surveyor – Book One of The Twenty-Niners of the Georgia Gold Rush, coming February 2026
1833
When surveyor Jesse Holden first heard the enchanting voice of the Songbird of Auraria in the mountains of North Georgia, her ethereal presence in the rough-and-tumble gold rush town left a lasting impression. Years later, haunted by the tragic loss of his bride—a consequence of his restless spirit—Jesse retreats to a solitary life, tending a farm his sheriff brother-in-law, Wade, secured in the lottery. But his past collides with his present when he stumbles upon a mysterious woman, the same girl from Auraria, lying wounded and unconscious in his woods.
Genevieve Gillbard overhears a plot by two employees of her controlling guardian, the wealthy owner of The Boom or Bust saloon, to steal gold from a mine owner and kidnap her—a conversation which also implicates their boss. Genny musters the courage to escape, but while fleeing a cloaked pursuer, she breaks her leg in a fall from her horse. She wakes in the cabin of a stranger, Jesse Holden—who makes it clear he doesn’t want a woman around.
The sheriff’s plan to go after Genevieve’s guardian—also the man responsible for the death of Jesse’s wife, Wade’s sister—should protect Genny until she can testify. Yet his suggestion of an in-name-only marriage risks their hearts. Jesse has sworn never to marry again, and he’d certainly never want a tainted woman like Genny. When Jesse goes undercover to expose the thieves, Genny fears the sham marriage might not be enough to keep her safe from her guardian’s long reach.
That's all for today's interview. Sounds like there's a lot to unearth in that story and her other ones as well. If you'd like to learn more about her writing, check the links below to connect with her.
Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
To tag onto what I shared in the last question, it’s good idea to have someone experienced do some beta reading of your manuscript, or if you can, hire an editor to make sure the manuscript is up to a publisher’s standard.
What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
The Songbird and the Surveyor – Book One of The Twenty-Niners of the Georgia Gold Rush, coming February 2026
1833
When surveyor Jesse Holden first heard the enchanting voice of the Songbird of Auraria in the mountains of North Georgia, her ethereal presence in the rough-and-tumble gold rush town left a lasting impression. Years later, haunted by the tragic loss of his bride—a consequence of his restless spirit—Jesse retreats to a solitary life, tending a farm his sheriff brother-in-law, Wade, secured in the lottery. But his past collides with his present when he stumbles upon a mysterious woman, the same girl from Auraria, lying wounded and unconscious in his woods.
Genevieve Gillbard overhears a plot by two employees of her controlling guardian, the wealthy owner of The Boom or Bust saloon, to steal gold from a mine owner and kidnap her—a conversation which also implicates their boss. Genny musters the courage to escape, but while fleeing a cloaked pursuer, she breaks her leg in a fall from her horse. She wakes in the cabin of a stranger, Jesse Holden—who makes it clear he doesn’t want a woman around.
The sheriff’s plan to go after Genevieve’s guardian—also the man responsible for the death of Jesse’s wife, Wade’s sister—should protect Genny until she can testify. Yet his suggestion of an in-name-only marriage risks their hearts. Jesse has sworn never to marry again, and he’d certainly never want a tainted woman like Genny. When Jesse goes undercover to expose the thieves, Genny fears the sham marriage might not be enough to keep her safe from her guardian’s long reach.
Thank you hosting me!
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