1. What am I working on?

I am currently working on a supernatural novel specifically targeting the college age group and adults. The story ties in the spiritual realm with the personal lives of my characters, and often the connections take place within dreams or visions they are given. My current story is entitled Deserts and is a prequel to my other pre-published novel entitled The New Breed. Deserts is about a 21-year-old musician named Jasper who decides to take a hitchhiking road trip to escape his painful past and start a new life in Nashville. He doesn’t anticipate the kind of life-changing and mindset-shifting encounters he will have on the road and when he arrives at his destination. Jasper hits a crossroads where he has to identify the difference between the truth and the “mirages” in his life. The story, essentially, is Jasper’s spiritual journey of gaining freedom from shame.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My stories are very character driven, specifically focusing on the internal emotions that people deal with as a result of painful events in their lives. Though there is action, especially among the angels and demons, I try to show that a lot of the battle takes place in the mind. The enemy likes to manipulate our thoughts and identities. My focus is the journey my characters go through to believe the truth about who they are, their value and purpose.

3. Why do I write what I do?

For these stories in particular, I believe God has given me a passion to help people see differently, to open up people’s minds and hearts to the reality of the spiritual realm and the significant role it plays in our lives, even if it seems to take place under the surface. I want to emphasize the importance of faith and believing the truth about who we really are. My purpose in writing is to use stories as a means to set people free and lead them into personal encounters with their Creator and his love—that just as my characters are experiencing healing and freedom, the reader would as well. I believe in the life-changing power of story, because my own life has been changed by stories.

4. How does my writing process work?

Often I do not have an outline, though I have many ideas. I usually begin by just jotting down all the ideas floating around in my head, whether they connect at first or not. I come up with at least my main characters’ names and personalities, and then I just begin writing. That’s the key for me. I don’t have to know what comes next to begin. The story somehow always unfolds and seems to reveal itself. For both of my novels, I’ve been able to begin after seeing a scene in my head much like a movie. Then I just let the words come together to form the picture. While I do experience writer’s block at times, I love how God has always broken through that by giving me ideas as I’m going through my normal daily activities, or taking a walk, or he speaks to me through the message or worship at church. I like to write sequentially. So I do this, but if I have a thought for a later part of the story, I just jot down the idea so I don’t forget it for when that part comes.

Please also check out my friend Lorna’s post about her writing: (and thank you, Lorna for asking me to participate) http://rawstorylife.com/writers-world-blog-tour/

Thank you!