FAQ

Some recent podcast interviews with me—

Are you obsessed with cowboys and horses?

Why do you ask? Ha! Probably. I have a healthy dose of respect and love for them.

Image: Dan at freedigitalphotos.net

Do you put parts of yourself in your characters?

Absolutely. “Write what you know” is an adage for a reason. I definitely share Meg’s sensitivity and introverted nature. Like me, Meg does a lot of people watching and staying quiet. Fortunately I haven’t had to suffer a loss as tragic as Meg’s loss. Losing a sibling, I think, is made extra difficult because people focus on helping the parents through the tragedy. Siblings often get marginalized in the grieving process. Other parts of me in my characters: the way Meg idolized her older brother; Meg’s love for quirky people and music; Meg’s tendency to fall hard for cowboys.

I’ve looked on the map for Chapin, Wyoming and can’t find it! Does it exist?

No, sadly Chapin is fictional. Wouldn’t you like to live there, though? I first set the book in Colorado but I moved it to the great state of Wyoming when I realized my characters needed to be those hard-working, independent ranching types. I visualize it somewhere around Riverton, Wyoming, if that helps. It’s bordered by a huge reservation and two mountain ranges. Also, this area is well-known for its rivers and hot springs.

Where can I meet Henry?

I get this a lot, as you can imagine. I don’t think of him as being “too good to be true” because I know guys like Henry. I married one, for instance. Also, living in College Station, Texas, home of the Texas Aggies, I meet good guys like Henry every day. There are a ton of them at my church! They’re strong, hard-working, respectful, mature, smart guys who know what they’re here for. They love God. They love their moms and dads. There are Henrys out there if you’re looking in the right places.

Why is PERFECT GLASS written from Henry’s point-of-view?

Henry’s strong voice needed its day. To me, there’s nothing better than getting into the head of a guy who has such strength and maturity. To hear him describe why he loved Meg is catnip. By using Henry’s eyes and voice to tell the story of some devastating and true things that happened in Nicaragua, I was able to give a really clear, honest story. A realistic recounting of what happened. Henry keeps one boot in Nicaragua and one in Wyoming so readers can follow Meg during her senior year and see how their relationship changes.

When will PERFECT GLASS be available?

You’ll know as soon as I know! It’s written and ready and hopefully I’ll have a date soon.

Are you working on a new book now?

I’m working on a book called An Only Place. It’s a story about two mining families in West Virginia. The children in these families are being encouraged to leave the mining culture and make a life elsewhere when they grow up. One girl makes it out and one boy (who has loved her since they were little) is caught up in mining because of an accident in the community. The story is about what happens when we despise where we came from and who made us and it shows what happens when we’re called home.

How do you come up with character names?

Often, they’re named after people I love! Meg is a dear friend’s daughter. I wanted my Meg to have a name that was short, strong, and didn’t carry a lot of sentimentality with it. No old-fashioned nuance. Just Meg. Henry is a name I’ve loved all my life. With him, I wanted old-fashioned. I wanted to show his connection to his deep ranching roots. I wanted a name that was sweet and strong at the same time. The books are filled with names of people that mean something to me. Sometimes I forget that I named a minor character after a friend and I get a middle-of-the-night phone call that says–”I found myself in your book! Why did you make me a history teacher? Or a Psychiatric Hospital director? What’s up with that? What’s wrong with you?”

Why is it important to you to write fiction with a faith-based message?

Because that’s what all stories are about for me. The hope of a better life. The yearning to be someplace else. The need for there to be something bigger than me to make this life’s difficulties worth it. Life will always have elements of love and faith and those are the only stories I know how to tell.

Are you willing to speak to our group or help out with book clubs?

YES! I do quite a bit of speaking about the issues in Glass Girl and also about general writing information. I also love to join book clubs on the day they discuss my book. I can do that in person, if it’s within reason, or by Skype or phone. I’ve helped a lot of students out who chose my book as a class project or research paper subject. Fill out my contact form and we’ll talk.