I’ve always loved the supernatural—even from a young age—so
it’s probably not surprising that when I started writing, I found myself
penning tales of the extraordinary. My very first published book, A Connecticut
Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court, was a time travel about a 21st century
fashion editor who ends up reliving Arthurian legend. Later I did the Blood
Coven Vampire series, which is a Buffy’esque vampire tale—heavy on the parody
of books like Twilight.
But no matter what the time period or the supernatural
element, my voice has remained the same. First person, snarky narrator, very
grounded in our world—even as she experiences some pretty fantastical things.
In short—I have a chick lit voice and I’m not afraid to use it!
So with Love at 11, it wasn’t as much of a stretch as it
might seem. Sure, I couldn’t bring on a vampire to bite the executive producer
when she started to become a pain in the neck. But just like Kat in King
Arthur’s Court, Maddy is also a bit of a fish out of water, struggling to find
her place in a very foreign world. And let me tell you from experience, at
times a TV newsroom isn’t much less barbaric than a medieval castle.
It was refreshing, in fact, to tell a real story. A story close
to my heart. In fact, I was literally assigned the “Cosmetics that Kill” story
Maddy is supposed to be working on throughout the novel at my own TV station in
Boston. I remember being so freaking frustrated at the ridiculous
sensationalism we were pumping out every day. I just wanted to do some real
journalism for once. But since I couldn’t quit—instead I poured out that
frustration into a book. It was therapeutic to say the least. And ended up
being one of the books I’m most proud of writing.
So while I still do love delving into the supernatural and
exploring things that go bump in the night—there’s just something about getting
real. And I’d love to do it again someday!
Thank you for sharing!
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