I consider myself a visual person, so when I write, I ‘see’ the characters and action in my mind before I put it to paper – or rather, computer. I choose photos of who I think the characters looks like and save them in the project folder. I create a cover that depicts the subject matter. And if I have an official title to accompany the story, the whole story becomes an entity…complete with music.

I believe music and writing go hand-in-hand. They are both art forms that bear the soul in ways that others cannot. Everyone has a soundtrack for their life I think, and as such, I create one as I write. Each book is different, so each soundtrack is different, but they fit the story so well. And a lovely side-effect, I find, is that when I listen to that song later, I imagine the story, come to life, complete with conflicts and happy endings.

Admittedly the title of my upcoming book, Stay With Me, was inspired by Sam Smith’s song of the same title. I had the story already outlined and had begun writing it when I first heard the song and as I considered what to name the book, Mr. Smith’s song, lyrics and powerful voice came to mind. There are three weeks left before the release of the book. Take a listen to the song (if you haven’t already) and when you read the book, see if they don’t fit.

You can pre-order your ecopy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Smashwords.