1. Tell me about your latest release or the book you wish to feature? Genre?
2. Where did the idea arise?
Jude and I brainstormed different time periods, historical events and local cultures. We hit on the intriguing maritime ties between Newfoundland and Massachsetts Bay Colony in the 1690s. I love the town of Salem and visit often. We also found a rich heritage of nature-based spirituality...outlawed with devestaing results in Salem, but more tollerated in Newfoundland. We started to "what-if" our plot from there.
3. How much research was involved? Did you stay on point or be distracted by wanting to look at just one more thing?
Yikes, did we live in the fascinating research for this one! Thankfully, the more we researched the more ties we found as we explored the Salem witchcraft trial documents, the colony of Avalon, its flora and fauna, native cultures and centuries of codfishing trade by many nations. On top of that it was a time of conflict as King William's War was in full swing. Our Salem-accused of witchcraft couple were real-life Philip and Mary English. They were merchants. Philip was a French-speaking outsider from the island of Jersey. We gave him a fictional cousin who is a ship captain named Martin Jaddore, based on St. John's, then a small community on the Avalon Peninsular of Newfoundland. Martin is the widower father of Charlotte, our 17 year-old heroine, whose mother came out of the native Beothuk and Mi'kmaq communities, both rich in spirituality and healing women. Father and daughter come to Salem to bring 3 of the English children up to their home and away from the maddness infectiing Salem. But a merchant is soon murdered, and the game is afoot! Will spectral evidence be seen as a factor in the crime as it has been with heart-rending results in Salem?
4. How long did you take to write the book?
About 6 months. Book deadlines are good for achieving daily word counts! We had a beautiful cover when we barely had a plot, so I was happy to incorporate the heroine's lovely grey dress into our story!
5. Now a bit about you. How long have you been writing? What is your Sun Sign?
I have been writing almost all of my adult life and discovered the great pleasures of novel-writing when a young mom living in the storytelling South-- Atlanta, Georgia. I am a determined and fiery Aries, with just enough Year of the Rabbit loyalty and compassion to keep me from being completely insufferable.
6. Do you write in a number of genres of stick to one?
I enjoy writing historical novels for both adults and young readers. Spectral Evidence was the first time I've delved back in time to the 17th century---they didn't even call puffins puffins back then--the were "sea parrots!" And the caribou rules the islands as the famous Canadian elk were not introduced to Newfoundland until many years later. Writing in different time periods feels like time traveling to me. But I have written contemporary mysteries, too.
7. Where on the internet can you be found?
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