10 Fun Facts
- My dog’s name is Jolly. She’s a black Miniature Schnauzer and the sweetest dog I’ve ever had. She loves to demand my attention, especially when I’m trying to write.
- In college I started painting as a hobby. It’s what inspired Bryan being a painter in The Memory Painter.
- I collect kaleidoscopes and pens. Kaleidoscope photography has become my hobby and I post pictures of them on social media.
- When I was a kid I had a wishful dream of becoming a figure skater. I still love watching figure skating competitions and will stop everything I’m doing to watch one.
- I generally cannot remember people’s names. There is a name for this problem, but I forgot what it’s called. 😉
- I’m left-handed but use my right hand for sports.
- Karaoke is something I like to do for fun. (In private 🙂 )
- Laughter is the best medicine. I love watching standup comedy and am always on the lookout for a new special on Netflix or cable.
- I take my coffee in the morning very seriously.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did you start writing?
I tried to write my first novel when I was about eight. My office was my parents’ bathroom. When I was in 5th grade I wrote my first poem on my first airplane ride while soaring up in the clouds. Ever since then words have been my way of artistic expression, first with poetry, then writing theater plays in college, and then feature screenplays. I always knew I would write a novel at some point in my life. When I started The Memory Painter in 2010, I fell in love with writing all over again, and suddenly everything fell into place.
Where do you get the ideas for your books?
For The Memory Painter, The Time Collector, and the newest story I’m writing, the ideas came in a real jolt of inspiration where I saw the opening of the story, the crux of the story, and the main character all at once. I get very excited when that happens. The Fortune Teller was slightly different. The idea grew from wanting to write a story where every chapter was a tarot card and a woman had inherited her grandmother’s deck. That’s all I knew. I’m working on several new stories that are also coming from an idea as opposed to a character eureka moment. So it really just depends. I tend to follow my intuition wherever it takes me.
The Memory Painter spans many lifetimes through reincarnation. Do you believe in reincarnation?
The older I get the more I realize I don’t know much at all! But...yes, I do. The mechanics might not be as three dimensional or linear as we assume. I think we're all on a journey that spans more than just one lifetime. The book Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss is a fascinating exploration into reincarnation.
Do you read Tarot cards?
Yes, although I’m rusty. I started reading Tarot when I was a teenager, eons ago. A Tarot reader, who was a dear friend of mine, taught me how she read, and I got a deck and gave it a try. I read lots of how-to books and took a course on it. In college I would do readings for friends. Over twenty years ago, I wrote down the idea for The Fortune Teller—all I knew is I wanted every chapter to be a Tarot card and the main character would inherit her grandmother’s Tarot deck and come into her gift. Two decades later, after I finished The Memory Painter, I knew it was time to write “that Tarot story” that had been swimming around in my head. The actual story grew out of my research. I’ve always been fascinated with divination in general, all systems, and The Fortune Teller was a celebration of that.
Is psychometry real or did you make that up for The Time Collector?
No, I did not make up psychometry. Psychometry is a real phenomenon where psychics can get information from objects and the energy stored within them. My website has a bibliography page for all my books and there you can find some psychometry research books.
Will there be a sequel to any of your books?
I am in the middle of writing a companion book for The Memory Painter. It’s not a sequel but a standalone story that still answers all the questions readers had at the end of The Memory Painter. (Like where is the Book of Thoth, what was in Conrad’s warehouses and is the Brotherhood of Horus really returning?) The idea has been germinating in my brain for years and I finally started writing it this year. As far as The Fortune Teller and The Time Collector, I’m not sure yet. I love those characters but I have other stories calling to me right now, including my latest YA thriller, The Premonitions Club, which will have a sequel!
Do you talk with book clubs?
Yes, all the time. Please feel free to contact me and schedule a Zoom or a Skype visit.