The Well, the first book in The Living Water Series, is a spectacular debut novel. I don’t cry easily while reading, but the book’s portrayal of sacrificial love left me with tears streaming down my cheeks. How did you come to fiction writing and how long was The Well brewing (or bubbling), so to speak, before its publication?

Thank you so much, Carolyn. I am truly happiest when I’ve made my readers cry. ☺

As for my writing journey, I can see now that I was inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. When I decided to write historical fiction, I had no idea what or whom or when I wanted to write about. After about a year of no ideas, I was ready to give up. Then, one day at Mass not long before Easter, I heard the Gospel account of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman. Sitting in my pew, I began to wonder about her—who was she? Who was her family? And most of all, what happened to her after she met Jesus?

By the time I got home, I knew that it was her story that I wanted to write. I even had a rough idea of Mara’s character and that of her mother, Nava. Since that day, I find my best inspiration at Mass or at our perpetual adoration chapel. Continue reading →