Composing Laney follows a bitter divorcee and novelist who meets a washed-up country music superstar on an island, where they help each other rekindle their passion for life. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I think it was an odd combination of being a stay-at-home mom with a husband who traveled a lot and getting lost in my own daydreams. Also, I have single parent friends and saw the struggles they were going through and I thought, that I rarely read a good divorced-mom romance novel where the heroine was true to what it feels like being in that position. The tight budget, being left for a younger woman, having all the responsibility but none of the benefits. Laney always puts her kids and family first (like most mom’s do) and that sometimes makes us forget that we’re also women and humans with needs and wants and viable dreams. I wanted to have her find someone who supported her dreams and saw her as an entity not just an object.

There is a sense of love and innocence throughout the novel. How did you capture those feelings and put them into words?

What I love about Laney and Jamie is that, despite where they are in their lives now, they were both raised in small towns, as oldest children. They sort of have been living for other people their whole lives and when they finally find each other, they get to be themselves. I also love the interplay between Laney’s kids (Charly and Sylvia) because it brings out that dynamic of being a parent and still appreciating the joy that childhood adds to humanity. And Jamie is just kind of a big kid so, he’s playful and sweet and I think Laney really needs that lightness.

Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing or did it come out organically as you were writing?

I think I planned it to be much darker. I always knew that Laney would be struggling with body issues and depression. In fact, in early editions she was pretty self-loathing. But my beta readers and some of my good friends pointed out that that was annoying and it didn’t fit her. And they were right (Beta readers are gold!) So even though she is a little bitter, its hard to write dark when you’re setting a story in a bright and easy-going place like St Croix, with a bright and easy going guy like Jameson Clark. I think he brings the sunshine to her and so I think the tone came about organically as they started their journey together.

What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?

I’m currently working on finalizing a regency/time travel romance “Westbury Falls” that will be out in August, and it’s sequel “Courting the Lion” should be available in late fall. Beyond that, I’m editing and finishing up a new series for (hopefully) 5 Prince Publishing that’s set in the Ornkey Islands (between Norway and Scotland) It will be an Urban Fantasy Romance. I’m really excited about it!

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Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/06/12/like-most-moms-do/