Please give a warm welcome to author

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I am a busy wife, mother, grandma, sister, daughter, and friend, like so many others. I live in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and work full-time with my writing. As well as adventures on the page, I enjoy adventures in life. I’ve worked with lions and tigers and bears in private reserves, hubby and I moved the kids to a rainforest in Panama, Central America for a year, and when the world allows it, we travel and collect memories. 

I write what I enjoy reading, which means, fantasy/paranormal, low/medium angst, fast burn, and for the conflicts to come from obstacles more than people mistreating one another and being shitty. My characters swear and make rude comments and are quite often inappropriate. I want my books to be sexy and fun… oh, and they’re funny too. 

Have you always wanted to become an author?     

Actually, no. I always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I was fortunate enough to be able to do that for twenty years and about twelve years ago, while taking a year away from the bustle of north American pressures to always keep moving, pushing, taking classes, joining clubs, I learned to love a good book. 

Having not been a huge reader up to that point, I didn’t take any books when we moved. My daughter, Abbey, was thirteen then and she brought a copy of Twilight. I must’ve read it 15 times (being the only book we had) and eventually, I started wondering about alternative plot directions. I thought, ‘If I wrote a book, my character would’ve said this and done that.’ My muse found me lying in a hammock in a rainforest.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?   

Currently, I’m writing 2 series under 2 pen names. I have the Guardians of the Fae Realms polyamorous reverse harem under JL Madore and the Chronicles of the Urban Druid urban fantasy adventure series under Auburn Tempest. Same writing style, same storytelling, but JL has vivid sex and adult content, and Auburn has teasers and fade to black.

The inspiration for my RH series was being part of the FB group Reverse Harem Readers and Authors. There is a fun bunch of crazy ladies in there who aren’t shy about telling you what they like and want in a book. I was reading RH and wondered why there wasn’t more MM. It seemed to me that if there is one woman and four guys, having them all focus on their female was limiting the sexual pleasures. I watched and when I saw women asking for more MM and more of a polyamorous romance series, I decided to write it.

What are you working on now?   

I alternate between pen names, so right now I’m finishing book 10 in the Urban Druid series A Dragon’s Dare (no sex) and then am starting book 9 in the Guardians series Honor Restored (lots of sex) lol. Book 9 will be the first book in Honor’s harem and the beginning of her story. She’s the third woman in the series to get her mates.

Do you have any quirks while working?   

Not really. I sit. I write. I watch Netflix and Marvel at night to glean ideas. And the next day, I sit and write again. I do have a bit of an obsession about eating M&Ms while I do that, though. Which I’m trying to curb… because hello, I turned 50 this month and my metabolism seems to have forgotten to come with me over the hill.

What are your hopes for the future?   

My biggest hope for the past decade was to retire my hubby from his high-pressure corporate job and be able to support us with my writing. He worked his ass off for the twenty years I stayed home and focused on the kids and now it’s his turn to enjoy freedoms. Goal achieved. At the time of writing this, it’s Thursday, and he’s been retired for four days. Yay! He’s an avid mountain bike rider and is looking forward to spending more time on the trails. I’m so thrilled that my fans loving my crazy stories means I can take the reins for the next twenty years. Also, we have our first grandbaby and are looking forward to spending oodles of time playing with her.

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world? 

Take classes and learn the craft. It doesn’t have to be university creative writing classes but find a guild or critique group and really learn how to craft a great story.

Read tons in your genre of interest. Know what you love to write and know what readers are looking for and find a way to make those two things intersect. 

Drill down to a sub-niche you think is underserved. For me, I love writing paranormal romance, then I looked into reverse harem, then specifically MM/poly, and also low/angst and fast burn. 

Really think about what your brand is… Mine is found family and finding the place you belong. To my fans and followers, I’ll say what I always say. It thrills me to know that my stories resonate with you. I’m thankful 

Join the 20BooksTo50K Facebook group and learn how to make money with your stories. Writing for passion and muse is great but making a living at it is better. 20Books changed everything for me and gives the indies the power to succeed.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?  

To my fans and followers, I’ll say what I always say. It thrills me to know that my stories resonate with you. I’m thankful for your support and read every review, taking comments to heart. Thank you for all the amazing feedback and for engaging with my characters.