Behind The Scenes

Ever wondered what a typical day looks like for an author? Let me take you behind the scenes of my wildly glamorous (read: caffeine-fueled, dog-distracted, occasionally panic-driven) life as a full-time writer. Spoiler alert: it’s not all book signings and swoon-worthy plot twists. Most days, it’s just me, my iPad, and a never-ending internal battle between productivity and procrastination. Buckle up!

Rise and shine: The battle begins

My day usually starts with the noble intention of waking up early, sipping a peaceful cup of coffee, and easing into my writing. In reality, it’s more of a chaotic scramble involving hitting the snooze button a few too many times, wrestling my cat for laptop space, and making sure I remember to take my ADHD meds. I tend to be a bit of a writing nomad – some days I sit at my desk, sometimes the couch or a cafe. I also love writing in bed, because it just feels so damn lazy and I’m here for it. Anything to get the words done!

Then I start my pre-writing ritual. Make coffee and get water. Go to the bathroom. Light some incense or a candle (or both, if I’m feelin’ boujee). Once I manage to claim my spot, I check emails, scroll social media under the guise of ‘marketing research,’ and attempt to ignore the siren call of whatever book I’m currently reading. Eventually, I crack open my work in progress, stare at the blinking cursor for an uncomfortably long time, and convince myself that writing just one sentence counts as progress. Sprints are my best friend, and I have these ones on Youtube that I absolutely love – so I use those to get my daily words.

Morning magic: Words, words, and… more distractions

I try to be at my keyboard and ready to go by no later than 9am, and then I try to remain ‘in the zone’ for a solid three hours until noon. This is prime writing time for me. If I’m lucky, the words flow effortlessly, and I get lost in the world I’m creating. If I’m not, I suddenly develop an urgent need to reorganise my bookshelf, research obscure historical facts that may or may not be relevant to my plot, or fall down a Facebook rabbit hole. Easy or not, though, I try to make myself hit my daily quote (which fluctuates based on my ability to make myself hit my daily word quota LOL).

When the writing does happen, it’s a rollercoaster. Some days, the characters behave, the dialogue snaps, and I feel like a literary genius. Other days, every sentence reads like it was written by an exhausted hamster, and I wonder if I should switch careers to professional dog cuddler. Such is life!

Afternoon projects: Bribing myself to be a boss

By lunch time, my brain starts to fizzle. This is where strategic bribery comes into play. I usually treat to an another coffee, a snack, or an episode of whatever show I’m binging—but only once I hit my word count. This method works about 50% of the time. The other 50%? Well, let’s just say my ability to justify ‘creative breaks’ is unparalleled.

Once the words are done, it’s moving on to project work. As well as running an annual romance book signing event (Wild Out West), I also do freelance book cover design (Covered Up), and am involved in both Witchy Bookworms and The Witchy Chicks – which are both loads of fun! Then I have my own author marketing, business admin, and general life stuff to take care of. I try to chunk this all up and have specific days for different types of work, to help deal with the overwhelm that comes hand in hand with being neurodiverse.

Evening: My creative second wind

If my partner is away at work, evenings are when the real magic—or absolute desperation—happens. There’s something about the quiet of nighttime that makes work feel easier for me. Sometimes I write, but if I’ve reached my daily word quota I don’t have to do that. I usually let myself work on any passion projects, fun design jobs, or other work that feels like a reward while I let something play on the TV in the background. My favourite go-to show to stream is RuPaul’s Drag Race (and Untucked). I also cycle through shows I’ve watched a million times like Hannibal, Lucifer, and The Vicar of Dibley or fave movies like Pride and Prejudice, and the Princess Diaries. As you can tell, my tastes are pretty eclectic!

Night thoughts: Taming tomorrow’s chaos

Before bed, I think about the next day and jot down notes on my phone, fully believing I’ll be a more organised human in the magical light of day. Sometimes inspiration strikes at the most inconvenient moment—like when I’m brushing my teeth or lying in bed at 3am. If I don’t write it down, I’ll forget it by morning, so I often end up scrambling for my phone to type out a half-coherent idea that I may or may not be able to decipher later.

Then I pass out, exhausted but grateful that I get to do this for a living. Being an author isn’t always easy, but despite the chaos, distractions, and occasional existential crises, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. So that’s a day in my life! If you’re an author, does this sound familiar? If you’re a reader, does this shatter the illusion of a perfectly romanticised writing life, or is it on par with what you’d expect? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

You know how people always say, ‘If I had the time, I’d write a book’? Yeah, that was me. I spent years juggling jobs in marketing, PR, and communications—after first cutting my teeth as a law clerk and then working in local government. Writing was always something I dabbled in on the side, winning the odd short story contest and jotting down ideas in notebooks I never quite got around to finishing.

Then 2020 happened.

Like so many others, I found myself suddenly without a job when COVID-19 rolled in and turned the world upside down. I had always said that if I ever had the time to focus on writing, I’d absolutely crush it and turn it into a career. Well, now I had the time—and absolutely no excuse not to try. It was time to put my money where my mouth was.

So, in March 2020, I sat down and wrote my first book. By June, New Witch on the Block—the first book in my Magic in Mosswood series—was published. It was a wild, fast-paced experience, and guess what? I loved it. More importantly, readers loved it, too.

Since then, I’ve written 23 books (and counting!) across multiple genres—paranormal women’s fiction, paranormal cozy mystery, contemporary romance, and even dark why-choose historical paranormal monster romance (because why not?). I write what I love, and luckily, readers seem to love it too. Most of my audience is based in the United States, but I’ve connected with incredible readers from all over the world. The best part? Becoming an author has given me a lifestyle that allows me to spend time with my family and friends while also building an amazing community of readers and fellow writers.

I draw heavily from my own experiences, the people I meet, and the stories I’ve collected along the way to create my characters, plots, and settings. Every book is a little piece of my journey, wrapped up in magic, mystery, and romance. And I have no plans to slow down anytime soon.

So, that’s how I went from a legal clerk to a PR pro to a full-time author. It wasn’t the path I expected, but honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way. Here’s to the next chapter—literally!