Why would I want to read the Elkridge Series? Each book in the Elkridge series is a piece to a puzzle—a suspenseful mystery involving the murder of a small-town sheriff. You get six contemporary romance books to figure out the mystery and a bunch of happy ever after (HEA) endings. Two novels in this fiction series—Blinded and Orphaned—are award-winning romance books.
Where is Elkridge, Colorado? Elkridge exists only in my mind. On any given day, I can stop at River Creek Café for Jenna's fresh baked cinnamon rolls, or shop for a birthday present at Mara's Blooms, or get my nails done at Kym’s nail salon. Sitting in the park eating lunch, I can watch the kids play and hear the latest gossip from neighbors. Later, if I want, I can stop at Mad Jack’s to hear a local band play and get some dinner. Elkridge is a great small town where the sun shines 360 days a year and people do their best to make ends meet.
Would you tell us about your writing process? It takes me awhile to write each stand-alone story because I am passionate about creating the very best stories for my readers. These contemporary romance books have complex plots and sub-plots and include suspense romance threads, with deep emotional women’s fiction elements, humor and even a bit of quirkiness. I’m so excited to see the 5-star ratings because it means I’ve created the ideal mix to provide readers with a few hours of enjoyment.
Book FAQ:
Why did you choose the storyline for Orphaned?
I started thinking about this story more than 10 years ago after I chatted with New York Times best-selling author Grace Burrowes following a writing workshop. A child advocate attorney in Maryland, she told tales of wonderful foster families in the area, no names included, who warmed my heart. Years later, I volunteered at Mount Saint Vincent’s, a non-profit in Denver, where I discovered teachers, psychologists, and administrators who were passionate about helping kids removed from abusive homes. Add those two things together, and I started to ask, what if. What if there were two sisters: the older one is placed in foster care, and the younger is adopted by what seemed to be perfect parents? What if the one, who didn’t get a forever family, had a happy and healthy upbringing? From there, the story came alive and ORPHANED was born.
How did you come up with the idea for Grant’s character?
When the story opens, Grant’s love for Jenna never wavers. How odd. Right? Usually, it takes pages and pages for the hero to fall in love with the heroine. That’s the normal course of things, but I’ve never liked rigid rules. Grant falling in love with Jenna before he really knows her is what intrigued me about him. He’s already in love, and then that love is tested to the point of breaking. That’s what creates a good drama.
Jenna is a diabetic baker. How does that work?
Can you see the irony in having a diabetic baker? I can. But this combination fits Jenna’s need for family. She must rely on others to taste her baked goods, which creates a conflict for the independent baker. Baking is her way of creating a family.
Finding a cure for diabetes is also something I care about. Several of my family members have diabetes, and I wanted to highlight the struggle, the embarrassment, the challenge of living with the condition. I hope a cure is found soon.
Are you still adding clues to Sheriff Sam’s murder?
Yep…big time. Hope you are enjoying playing detective and finding the clues as to who murdered Sam.
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