What inspired you to write these books?

The 90s YA horror books I’d grown up reading and the TV shows at the time I had the initial idea, such as Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Roswell. The books aren’t about vampires or aliens, but teens getting caught up in supernatural situations and having to deal with them without adult help.

Do you write for yourself or for a particular audience?

For myself, so it was nice to find I had an audience that also liked the same kind of stories as me.

Are there any secrets hidden in your writing?

I like to name characters or places after my pets. In my first book, there’s a history teacher named Mr. Chester, which was the name of my last dog. And in upcoming books the characters visit restaurants that are named after my cats.

Who is your most or least favourite character to write?

My favourite character is Eve Thomas. She’s one of the antagonists, although she would argue she’s the protagonist. Her personality is very much mined from the way I acted as a 16-year-old—someone who always thinks they’re right and wants to be left alone to do their own thing. She has trouble making and keeping friends and was the character that came most easily to the page. I thought she might come across as selfish, but a lot of readers have said she’s their favourite character too, so there’s definitely something relatable about her and the way she views the world.

As a writer, are you a plotter or a pantser or somewhere in between?

I’m a bit of a reverse plotter, so I guess I’m in between. I like to write without a plan, and then once I have a first draft, I’ll go back over what’s written and create a plan to see what I’m missing or what needs to be moved around.

What’s your writing routine – if you have one?

Right now my routine involves a Writing Week and an Authoring Week. I’ll spend one week writing or editing my WIP, and the second week doing all the other things involved with being a writer, such as blogging, making social media graphics, doing writing courses, reading and reviewing books, and planning book promotion. I’ve found splitting my tasks up into two separate weeks is the easiest way to get some decent words on the page, and to keep on top of everything else without feeling like I’m trying to do everything at once and getting nowhere.

What’s your favourite writing food and drink?

I love a good cup of green tea, and I’m very partial to cheese and crackers when I’m writing, and chocolate to celebrate hitting the end of a draft.

What’s your writing goal for the next twelve months?

To finish editing the final two books in my Blackbirch series and publish them. I might also work on a writing book based on the content of my blog.

What words of advice would you give an aspiring author?

Find the routine and way of writing that works for you and stick with it and read as many books on the art of writing as you can. There’s always something new to learn.