Author · Writing

Empty Nest: A Reflection on Motherhood

I was off from work this week and had a bit of time to work on a story, except I found myself freewriting for a moment because I was lost in thoughts that have nothing to do with the Gilded Age, the Hudson Valley, fictional characters, or romance. Motherโ€™s Day is this weekend, and I got lost in the thoughts of my own motherhood journey. I recently entered a new phase of my life and I am still trying to process it: My youngest joined the Army and started Basic Training out in Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago.ย  My house is now empty and insanely quiet all day, every day.

Author · History · Writing

A Gilded Age Serial Killer and the Birth of Forensic Science

While researching my Gilded Age dark romance trilogy, I fell down a very dark rabbit hole. What did crime scene investigation actually look like in 1895? The answer led me to The Killer of Little Shepherds โ€” a chilling true crime story about Joseph Vacher, a serial killer who terrorized Franceโ€ฆ and the doctors who quietly laid the foundation for modern forensic science while hunting him.