Award-winning author, wife, mother, grandmother, Harry Potter geek, Army veteran, karate black belt, and online gamer girl.
"Recently widowed Rae Cavanaugh just survived the worst birthday of her life. She and her two young children must now face a holiday season filled with so many reminders of what they've lost. But when a coworker who’s raising his young nephew moves next door, Rae discovers that the support of a good friend, and the gift of a child, can bring back some of the joy of the season. 
Q&A With the Author:
1. What inspired this Christmas/Winter book?
The Story Behind the Story
A real event inspired this novelette. I originally wrote it for two reasons. First, to honor my sweet son David. Second, as a gift to my newsletter followers.
While the friendship between Rae and Dylan is fictional, I shared the following with Rae:
· I lost my husband when I was twenty-six.
· I had two young children to raise alone.
· I experienced a dismal birthday that just happened to fall on the two-month anniversary of my husband’s death.
· My son did for me what Preston did.
But I’m a romance author at heart, and I fell in love with Dylan. He was perfect for Rae, but by the end of The Gift of a Child, it was still too soon after the death of her husband for her to fall in love again. Being the great guy Dylan is, he recognizes she needs time even though he’s already fallen for her.
And that’s when I knew there had to be another story, a true romance this time. That’s where the idea for The Forever Gift came from.
2. Do you have other Holiday books? If so, which Holidays? If not, what other books do you write?
I'm currently writing a book that's set during Christmas of 1905 in Wyoming—A Lady for Luke. It's part of my Lilac City Novella Series.
Torn Canvas, book 2 in my Safe Harbors Series, spans nearly three years but includes a Christmas wedding.
3. What is your largest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to reach it?
That's a hard one. As a child, my career Navy father was stationed in Seoul, Korea. The country has changed so much since then, and I'd love to visit there again. But it truly is a dream. I have no active plans.
If I ever make enough money as an author to take my entire family on a cruise, I'd totally do that.
4. Tell us about things you enjoy — what you do for fun or personal satisfaction besides writing?
I love to cruise. As a Navy brat, I'd sailed the Pacific three times by the time I was thirteen. That's a bit of what inspired me to write A Change of Plans, book 1 in my Safe Harbors Series is the story of a woman who goes on a cruise and ends up shipwrecked after being attacked by modern day pirates.
I enjoy many things but especially reading. I love books! So far this year, I've read (or listened to via audiobook) 173 books. You can see them on my Goodreads Challenge here: https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/14884768
I enjoy many things but especially reading. I love books! So far this year, I've read (or listened to via audiobook) 173 books. You can see them on my Goodreads Challenge here: https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/14884768
And I love to game. My favorite right now is League of Legends. It's a battle arena game and inspired my Billionaires of REKD Series about four Harvard graduates and their journeys to love.
5. Are your characters/stories/scenes, etc. based on anything in real life?
As I've mentioned, The Gift of a Child was strongly influenced by a personal event, but except for my connections with Rae, the rest of the people are fictional.
I think there's always a little of an author that bleeds into real life. I spent over twenty years working as a city recorder. One of my duties was to run municipal elections. My own experiences plus those shared by others in my profession influenced some of the events in my book Swing Vote, book 3 in my Safe Harbors Series.
6. Tell us one Christmas or Winter tradition that you love to do every year, and why it is so special to you.
When our children were still at home, we'd choose a family that was struggling and do a twelve days of Christmas ding-dong-ditch. For twelve days ending on December 23rd, we leave them an inspirational or humorous Christmas story/poem/etc. along with a treat that matched. I miss that.
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