I couldn’t tell you how long I’ve been writing, it's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. The full-on pencil to paper stuff probably started around age 9 when I wrote a mystery about a hamster that stole money for housing materials. It was weird, but short. (The story, I mean. I honestly don’t remember how tall the hamster was.)

But the earliest days were spent crafting alternate worlds and realities while sitting in the car listening to an odd mix of country, Motown, pop and classic 80s hair bands. There was the occasional injection of Bluegrass which is in my blood, apparently, but it was never my thing.

My serious storytelling began in my teens. Interspersed with occasional afternoons spent sketching comic book characters with my older brother, I was typically hidden away in my room for hours. There in my secret lair I filled many notebooks with handwritten stories. I was about 19 when I saved up and bought my first laptop (I think I still have it shoved in a closet somewhere). It was incredibly heavy and had all the aesthetic charms of a brick. It was awesome and a huge step up from eraser marks, crossed out lines and an aching claw-like grip from wielding my pencil.

I write from many perspectives - heroine, hero, side characters and sometimes even villains. Most of my books center primarily on women. I like to write about heroines that are smart, sexy and basically kind. All the things I want to be if I ever decide to grow up.

I love mysteries, romance and speculative fiction. I weave romance into pretty much all of my books, but I explore other relationships as well. Friendships and the various bonds within families are deeply important and I draw on my personal history for a lot of it. Stories saved my sanity growing up, there were years when I spent more time in my fictional worlds than in reality, and I was deeply grateful to have somewhere safe to go.

I firmly believe that books are vital, that our imaginations need to be protected and cultivated and that boredom, in the hands of resourceful children, breeds creativity and strength.

No one's life is perfect, and trying to compare our problems isn't really fair because we're all so different. But one of the most useful lessons I've learned along the way is that if you’re in a situation where you can’t really conquer or surrender…stories give you the option to escape. Even if only for a few hours.

I hope I can help transport you someplace you'd like to be. Don't worry, the work will usually be waiting for you when you get back.

Camille