Taste and Style Influenced By Life Experience

My Taste in Fiction

I’m a literary and historical fiction junkie. I like stories with a psychological or sociopolitical component and prefer reality to imaginary worlds. Long-form is my jam, my bread-and-butter. My all time, top five favorite authors: Isabel Allende, Khaled Hosseini, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, David Sedaris, Amor Towles.

Comp Authors

I polled my readers about comp authors and here’s what they had to say: Alice Hoffman, William Kennedy, Ariel Lawhon, Alice Munro, Sarah Penner, The New Yorker.

Oh Snap!

For me, there is an undeniable connection between photography and literature. I often use fine art as inspiration for my writing and find that this process can inform more vivid character and scenic descriptions. As a former food and garden photographer, on occasion I contribute editorial images for these industries.

Visual Prompting

In addition to my own collections, I consult those of other photographers to help inspire my fictional narratives. Some of my go-to artists: Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Declan Haun, Vivian Maier, Mildred Mead, Steve McCurry, Richard Nickel, Mihaela Noroc.

A Cat Has Nine Lives

With a background in Social Anthropology, I sought a career in which I combined writing and photography with humanitarian work. I provided creative services for nonprofits and ethical small businesses. Projects ranged from historical preservation and environmental conservation to food security, immigration and public heath initiatives. The skills I acquired as a marketing and public relations professional are now being applied to my pursuit of authoring fiction.