  There are few things as fun as having writing friends close enough that you can participate in events together. Every time Sarahlyn Bruck and I have had a chance to connect, has been an absolute blast. Sadly, no getting together in person lately, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun with a virtual coffee chat ... If we were at a coffee shop, what would you order? Oh man, it’s been so long since I’ve had coffee outside of my house! I would order a flat white with whole milk—so creamy and yummy. I miss those. At home, do you have one go-to mug or do you pick by mood or whatever is within reach? I usually pick by mood and by what I’m drinking. If it’s coffee, we have these Fiestaware mugs I like—they’re the perfect size—in all different bright colors. Lately, I’ve been using the sunny yellow mug—a little brightness in winter. But for afternoon tea or the occasional hot chocolate, I prefer my favorite mug that my daughter gave me for my birthday many years ago. It makes me so happy. And holds, like, 16 ounces! As a writer, I’m obsessed with writing process. I love hearing how others work their magic. What’s your process like? Do you have certain routines/rituals? Ideally, I like to write in the mornings. I’d typically see my family off to work/school, walk the dog, grab a cup of coffee, and get to work. But during this pandemic, my routine has been totally thrown. We’re all home. The house is noisy. We’re all interrupting each other. So now I’ve reintroduced a daily to-do list, and my daily writing goals are part of it. If it gets done in the morning, great. If I don’t have a quiet moment until my daughter’s soccer practice, I’ll write in the parking lot. And you know what? It’s fine. It (mostly) works, lol.  I remember the first time you mentioned the concept for DAYTIME DRAMA and I’m so excited that it’s now being released. What was the idea (or coffee bean maybe? :-) ) that triggered this story?
I’m a California native now living in Philadelphia, and I’ve never gotten used to the winter weather. To put it simply, I was cold! Sunny Los Angeles sounded really nice in January-February of 2017, so I decided to “visit” in my mind. Your first novel, DESIGNER YOU, was set in Philadelphia which is where you currently live. I loved how personal that one felt. What made you decide on Hollywood as the setting for DAYTIME DRAMA? So part of reason I set the novel in Hollywood was because of chilly Philly, but also because my husband worked in the entertainment industry as an editor while I attended grad school. Most of our friends were part of the industry in some way, and it was such a hoot hanging around these fast, funny, creative people. That was a world I knew and loved—and wanted to write about. Can you give us a hint about what you’re working on next? Oh, yes! The book I’m finishing now is set in the world of girls’ and women’s soccer. It’s about an injured professional soccer player who is desperate to get back in the game, but when her father suffers a stroke, she’s forced to return home, and in turn, confront a horrible secret from her past. Revealing the truth will upend her soccer dreams and ruin her relationship with her best friend. But how can she keep their secret knowing what they did? Back to the coffee shop. Do you eavesdrop on folks at neighboring tables or tune everyone out? Great question! I do both. When I’m focused, I’m pretty good at tuning out the world. But sometimes my mind wanders, especially if the next table is having an especially juicy conversation. Finally tell me something about yourself that will make the people at the next table scoot closer to hear better … or maybe scoot further away. ;-) Ha! I’m so boring and quiet, especially at a coffee shop, I would suppose someone would need to scoot closer if they wanted to hear anything I had to say out loud. But it won’t be much!
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