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Why is writing important to you and why do you think it's an important medium for the world?

I process my life circumstances through writing fiction. Sometimes, breakthroughs happen during the writing journey. The written word is the most important medium to communicate emotional & mental energy to the world and lasts for generations.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer's block?

Showers, evening kayak paddles, and long walks.

What is your favorite time to write?

Between 10pm and midnight.

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?

Read Stephen King's On Writing and do what he says.

What excites you most about being a writer in today's age?

The instant gratification that is available through modern technology. My friends were texting as they read my novel. The ability to contact an author with questions and comments while reading their book is pretty neat.

What message do you hope your readers take away from this latest release?

Mary, the protagonist in The Oystercatcher of Southwark, faces heart-wrenching trials in life but somehow holds onto her faith. I want to inspire my readers to find hope even in the darkest circumstances.

How long did it take from the decision to write the story until you had researched enough to create a viable novel?

Everything happened simultaneously. I started researching while writing dialogue and character development scenes. My mom, an avid genealogist and keeper of family secrets, helped me tremendously.

What literary pilgrimages did you take for book research?

My mom and I enjoyed lunch at The King George Inn and walked along the Delaware River. We toured the house and gardens at Andalusia. We spent an afternoon with my Aunt and Uncle, residents of Queen's Village, the neighborhood once called Southwark. My favorite literary pilgrimage was a trip to the Philadelphia City Archives with my mom. Finding my great-great-grandmother's name in the asylum register was a magical moment I will never forget.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

Hands down, the best money I spent was a membership to ACFW! I joined the Scribes critique group and learned the craft from excellent mentors. Nothing teaches better than critiquing others' writing and receiving critiques of your work.

Tell us about your work in progress.

I'm excited about my work in progress, titled I Am Rushing Water, which revolves around Matilda "Mattie" Ashwood Schmidt — a Society Hill socialite — and her husband, Gabriel Schmidt, who is falsely accused of being a German spy at the start of WWI. When authorities imprison Gabriel in Leavenworth, Mattie runs away from Philadelphia to Kansas City in hopes of springing her husband from jail.