The interview - Part 1

	What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote?   As a teen I began to seriously read the classics, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House of the Seven Gables, The works of Guy de Maupassant, Dickens, Twain, and Daphne du Maurier, The Secret Garden, Walter Farley, historical books, etc. I kept a dictionary beside me at all times and whenever I came across a word I didn’t know I stopped to look it up. It was during junior high that I began writing stories. My best friends read my work and encouraged me to continue. As an adult I picked up the pen again in 2003 and haven’t stopped writing since.
	What is your favorite genre? Can you provide a link to a site where we can read some of your work or learn something about it?   Historical and modern romances are my favorite genres. I seem to have a flare for writing epic adventures.
	What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write?   Creativity is a very strong gauge of who I am. It also reveals a bit of an eccentric personality. Before sitting down to write I have to seriously clear my head of all outside influences. From this point I get into character similar to an actor portraying their part.
	What type of reading inspires you to write?   Besides doing research, reading doesn’t really inspire me. I’m quite visual and hope to provide the reader with a feel of what I see through my words. Picturesque views of the Mediterranean motivated me to write Taylor Made. The same views stirred the creation of Adonis Mortale. That’s not to say reading can’t be inspiring. I used to read Sydney Sheldon and others to be whisked away to another place or time. There’s always Dan Brown with his awesome ability to move even a wooden totem pole. I do need to read books that challenge the mind with sub layered plots that twist and turn to better the quality of my work. Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer” or John Hart’s “Iron House” were very good. Oh, and the Fifty Shades of Grey series – yes.
	What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story?   Trauma and drama. I like to take the reader on a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. I give and then take away until the characters are broken and demanding to be fixed. And of course with plenty of loving support from the love of their life. The stories are romances you know.
	What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?   I’ve used third person for most of my work however I’m currently using first person for an epic adventure. With first person the reader can get up close and personal with the characters – more so than by third person. It also makes the background shadows mysterious with a nagging need to know or else find out.
	What well known writers do you admire most?   Well, the ones that have made a career out of writing. Dan Brown fascinates me with his deep intellect of history and cultures, and his ability to weave a tale, and his perception of mankind in general. I’m envious of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. What a wonderful tale, and in first person. Nora Roberts pumps out books to bring in revenue although I prefer a more adult and complex storyline. I read Richard Castle’s Heat Wave a while back and got a kick out of his playful and knowledgeable style. Oh, and also, Kathleen Grissom’s The Kitchen House. Wow, now Ms. Grissom takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride. When the reader is begging to be soothed by good news she rolls out the powder keg only to blow everything up!
	What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create yours?   Characters are usually built from their foibles, their grief or desire to obtain something that’s currently out of reach. I try to paint their characteristics thoroughly through this mode. Yeah, sometimes I get stuck describing the typical blue eyed blondes, or brown eyed brunettes. At this point I look for their energy, their height, their mannerisms or their career to see what idiosyncrasies drive them.
	Are you equally good at telling stories orally?   I try. That is until my captive audience figures out I’m a show boater. I make a better listener – unless they’re an insufferable show boater. I enjoy listening to professor types and soak up knowledge like a sponge. I absolutely love to learn! Life moves too fast to focus on needless fluff. I’m a woman on a mission to write and publish books.
	Deep down inside, who do you write for?   I write for creative expression. And, for entertainment purposes. It has been said that writers are some of the craziest or loneliest people on earth. One of those isn’t true, but we do talk to ourselves and have discussions with people that aren’t actually there. I want to share my warped personality and dramatic scenarios with those that might appreciate following a good adventure.