Background: Barb was born in Hawaii and later moved to Seattle. Today she lives in Florida but is still a Seattle girl at heart, which is why all her stories take place in the Northwest.  She has written over 15 books, mostly paranormal romance and including several children’s books about Little Arthur and The Knights.  Barb is one of our sponsors for the I Love Vampire Novels Fangs & Fur Festival, celebrating all creatures furry and fang-y during this Valentine’s Day week. Queen’s Destiny is Book One in the Blood Prophecy Series, which can be downloaded for free with an entry into our Giveaway.

You can also purchase the Blood Prophecy Queen’s Trilogy on Amazon or any other platform you may choose.

ILVN: How long have you been writing, or when did you start?

I’ve been writing since I was nine but telling stories much longer than that. My fourth-grade teacher encouraged me to put my stories
on paper. Now that I think about it, she probably wanted me to stop scaring the other kids with my stories. Telling stories, especially of the supernatural world, was always something I had wanted to do since I was little.

ILVN: Why paranormal/urban fantasy? What drew you to the genre?

I’ve always been drawn to the genre. The whole concept of vampires, witches, wolves, demons and others always intrigued me.
There was something about telling stories of the dead or watching the paranormal/horror movies that fascinated me. I know that sounds morbid, but call it an attraction to deathly creatures.

ILVN: What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?

Always the characters. Once I identify with the characters, the plot easily comes to me. The characters have to be relatable to me. In fact, I talk to my characters and from that, I can create their worlds, making it easier for readers to immerse themselves into the books.

ILVN: What’s your favorite type of paranormal creature and why?

I absolutely love them all. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses but if I had to pick one, I would have to say vampires. They
have incredible speed, strength and are just well, damn sexy.

ILVN: Tell us about your heroine/hero. What inspired her/his quirks and struggles?

That would be Amber. She is the queen of the series, but I wanted someone readers could relate to in terms of her qualities. Amber is described as extremely intelligent but naive. She was at first a human, someone readers can relate to, and then falls in love with a vampire while discovering her
destiny. Along with the other characters, she is definitely relatable.

ILVN: Would you and your main character get along?

Oh my yes! She and I would probably see eye to eye on things but I definitely love her spirit.

ILVN: Which of the characters do you relate to the most and why?

I would have to say, Chloe, the Witch. She is the most human of all of them but has a spunky spirit that always comes through in
the end.

ILVN:  What is a significant way your book has changed since the first draft?

From the first draft, the most important change was drawing the readers into the prophecy more along with the relationships of the women. In the end, Amber and Chloe are powerful, sexy, and confident women who can control their men at times while the men have their time for control. I manage
to make my readers feel the heat at times, so to speak without losing the concept of the thrill.

ILVN: Where can our readers find you?

I can be found on Facebook, Instagram and my website. Readers can find my books through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other retailers worldwide.