Before pursuing writing, you studied chemistry and went on to earn a doctorate in pharmacy. How did you find your passion for writing?

Growing up, I loved reading. I even remember writing some books in crayon with my sister. But I was never inclined to pursue a career in writing — I knew that writing didn’t pay, and that ultimately, it would be hard to sustain myself that way. Only around 1% of writers make $100,000 or more a year. But while I was practicing pharmacy, I had this incredible dream. When I woke up, I had to put it onto paper, and I ended up writing a 200,000-word novel. Of course, it was horrible! But what mattered was that it got me started — it showed me that I could write, and I’ve been writing ever since.

In your novels, you focus on blending WWII history with drama, romance, and fiction. What led you to write about WWII specifically?

I really fell into writing about WWII by accident. Initially, I wrote contemporary novels, but I found that using a WWII setting helped build my characters’ romantic relationships. I researched more into WWII and began talking with my family, and it turns out that my family history is deeply rooted in WWII — my grandfather was a Navy vet, while my grandmother was on the homefront. They were storytellers, and I was able to form this deeper connection with my family tree and this life-changing war. I fell in love with the era, and even though I’ve been writing for 14 years, there’s never a shortage of stories to tell.

Do you find inspiration for your novels based on real-life or fictional events?

Definitely real life. There are so many instances, either from my family or from history, that I draw on to write my novels. My great-uncle, for instance, was a B17 bomber pilot. As I mentioned before, my grandfather was in the Navy. But after digging deeper, I discovered that he studied in pre-war Germany, which was mind-blowing to me. Imagine an American student studying in Nazi Germany — while Hitler was in power, but before the chaos and destruction of WWII. Studying my family’s personal history also exposed me to other key figures in the war, such as flight nurses. I suppose those would be some of my real-life inspirations.

Your novels are set in a variety of places, from France to England. How do you choose the setting for each one?

The setting for my stories is based partly on where the history comes from, but also partly on what sells in the bookstore. England is commonly used for WWII novels, but so is the U.S. homefront. For one novel, I even used my hometown Antioch — not only was it relevant to the book I was writing, but I was able to drive to the library and access a wealth of WWII information there. You have to create a delicate balance between what location will be popular with readers and what story you want to tell. I know that Paris is incredibly popular right now — in fact, my latest book even has the Eiffel Tower on the front cover, as if it isn’t already clear the book is set in Paris!

You’ve written standalone novels, novellas, and series. How does the process of writing each type differ from the other?

It really boils down to the connections between books. Of course, standalone novels and novellas don’t have other books to make connections to. But in a series, you can either have tight connections or loose connections between books. I prefer loose connections, because that way it’s easier for the reader to pick a book up without feeling lost. Each book in a series I write tends to have a solid ending, but at the same time, I leave room for the story to go on. In that sense, writing a series requires more thought, while standalones offer more freedom.

For writers hoping to be published, what advice do you have for finding a reputable publishing house and for publishing in general?

It’s hard, really hard, to publish a book. It sounds contradictory, especially since it’s so easy to self-publish on Amazon. But the difficulty lies in the ease. You can publish anything on Amazon nowadays, especially things that may not be your best work. I think there’s a saying that writers should have two books that should have been unpublished, that it takes two books for writers to fully immerse themselves in their craft and hit their stride. I mean, I wrote my dream-based book in 2000, and if I had been able to self-publish on Amazon now, who knows what might have happened? My best advice would be to embrace rejection. I received rejection letters for years, and even then, I continued writing. Don’t let rejection discourage you!

Eventually, I found an amazing publishing agency called Books & Such Literary Management. I’ve stayed with them since my first book, 14 years ago, which is incredibly uncommon in the writing industry. Most publishing houses will give new writers a contract, and from then on, it’s “sink or swim”. The marketing money would primarily go to best-selling authors. I was incredibly lucky in that regard to find the publishing house I did.

When working with your agent, learn to love the red pen! At school, you probably dread it when your tests come back marked in red, but as a writer, I love it when my manuscript is filled with it. Be flexible and teachable when it comes to writing, and listen to the suggestions your agent has. The writing process takes a long time, but putting in the effort to thoroughly edit your manuscript will be worth it.

Lastly, attend writers conferences. I cannot stress this enough. They are worth every penny! Especially now that writers conferences are moving back in person, you’ll have even more opportunities to learn about the craft and the publishing industry. At conferences you’ll meet editors, agents, and fellow writers — those relationships are incredibly important, not just to make connections and advance yourself, but to create a supportive community. Writing is a cruel business, so creating that community is really important.