Hi there! It’s been a while, huh? I’m still here. Still writing (yay!). Still plugging away on the same WIP, and also gathering ideas for some new books down the road.

First thing: HOLY COW. I’ve been seriously pursuing writing (on and off) for ten years. TEN YEARS. It’s time for me to really, truly buckle down and make shit happen.

So I will.

I’ve been up to a lot since I last posted here more than six months ago! I took more acting classes, I went to Jekyll Island and to Disney World, did some more background work, mostly for SIRENS, but also for an indie film, a commercial, a promo video, and Chicago PD.

Something about acting classes and being on set is a huge inspiration for me. I realized that it’s because both things are another way to tell a story. Acting is bringing the story to life. Being on set is like being INSIDE a story. Combine the two and it’s can be magical.

I love being on set. I love all the little details that go into making the scene real. For SIRENS, I was on a hospital set on a soundstage, and the set dressing was beyond fascinating for me. So many small things to add to the atmosphere of the shot, so many things for us background actors to play with to make things more realistic…it was just so COOL.

There are authors who inspire me. Huntley Fitzpatrick. Sarah Dessen. Stephanie Perkins. I know they work their butts off to write amazing stories, but the books are so easy to read, it seems effortless. I want my writing to seem effortless to my readers. I want them to read my work and fall in love with my characters like I fell in love with Samantha and Jase, or Ruby and Nate, or Anna and Etienne. And I want to inspire them to write their own love stories.

And then there is music. I love listening to music when I’m writing. I make have a general playlist for writing, and then I have specific soundtracks for the stories I am writing. Sometimes I even make soundtracks for specific characters. Spotify is such a great tool for this. I pay for the premium version, and then I usually end up buying the songs themselves so I can listen to them on my iPod. Because I’m one of those ones who still uses a Classic and will until it conks out on me.

Here is my writing playlist on Spotify:

Going to bookstores and libraries inspire me. Meeting authors. Reading book reviews. Reading books in general.

There are so many stories, and yet, I still feel like there is a place for me. I just need to find my way there.