Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind The Letter series? What about compelled you to create an entire series based on the Arthur family?

The Letter Series was inspired by some of my family letters written in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A set of love letters written by my great-great grandmother to her fiance (my great-great grandfather) was the correspondence that started it all. After the first book in the series, The Last Letter, sold thousands and thousands of copies, readers began to ask to see more about the family. And so the rest of the series was born. While the books are inspired by my real family and there are some factual elements to the stories, each narrative is unique and fictionalized.

Did you have to do a lot of research for The Thief’s Heart, or did you rely on research you’d already done for other books in the series?

I did have to do quite a bit of research for The Thief’s Heart. Though the book is set at the same time as The Kitchen Mistress is, both books are from different characters’ points of view. The Thief’s Heart is about how Tommy is navigating the difficult changes the Arthur family is confronted with. The novel goes deeply into what causes his problems and how he attempts to overcome them. Though much of the set up and background for TKM and TTH is the same, the experiences the main characters have (even the way they interpret the very same events!) are wholly unique.

How do you find the right balance between writing fiction that is fun and lighthearted, and fiction that has complex, heavier themes?

I think whether a book hits just the right balance often depends on the individual reader. When I wrote The Last Letter I viewed the ending as being the definitive finish to a complicated story. I felt the ending was satisfying even if not happy in the way some fictional endings are happy. And many readers agree with my characterization. Others don’t. That really surprised me to get that kind of feedback at the time. So, with every book since that first one, I’ve tried to be even more mindful of balance between a complicated book that creates major problems for characters and making sure there are more light moments as the characters develop, they tackle difficulties, and the plot unfolds.

You’ve garnered substantial recognition and praise for your books. What advice would you give to current and aspiring authors (especially indie authors) who want to be successful?

Most advice I give encourages writers to create literature they want to read themselves and to hold the writing up as the most important component of selling. Trends are too hard to navigate if you aren’t really passionate about whatever trend you’re trying to “capture.” Now there are exceptions to that. Some writers are prolific, their interests match with what’s “hot,” and they easily adapt their writings to fit the market. Some authors are brilliant at that and they are rewarded and I would encourage them to maintain that path. But for writers like me, writers who write slower and aren’t as streamlined with their writing process, I would advise they learn to trust. I trust that my work will land with the readers who love it. I do my best to promote and market, hiring experts who know more than me so that my work gets to those readers. But then I center my energy on the writing process, knowing that in the end, the craft is the most important part of the selling.

What projects are you working on now?

I’m finishing up a novella, The River Jewel, that acts as a prequel to The Letter Series, will help drive readers to The Thief’s Heart as a sales tool. The River Jewel shows readers how Pearl (a “side” character in The Road Home, The Kitchen Mistress, and more of a main character in The Thief’s Heart) ended up being orphaned. I hope to write Pearl’s own novel soon, but this is a really fun way to give readers an extra Letter Series book to read and to focus on characters other than the Arthurs. I’m also writing the third book in the Donora Story Collection that is about Stan Musial’s childhood. So much more to come!! My newsletter and Facebook page always have new content and updates on my projects in progress and as they are completed.