Do you have a simple childhood memory that you could never forget?
At age eleven on a LONG family car trip, Cassie strolled into my imagination. At that time she was in her forties and living in a loving domestic discipline marriage. She told me her stories. She’s like an imaginary friend who never left. Over fifty years later she’s still with me and still telling me stories.
At what age did you first see Ricky spank Lucy?
Probably by the age of two or three. By four, I could tell the episodes that contained spanking after seeing only the first few seconds.
Which children's book from your childhood has stayed with you in your adult life?
I always loved Charlotte’s Web.
Which is better practice for an aspiring writer: writing novels or writing short stories?
I think short stories would be the place to begin. Even if you want to write a novel, write the different parts as a short story so you won’t feel overwhelmed. You can put them together later.
What inspired you to start writing?
I really enjoyed spanking stories, but I couldn’t find what I wanted to read. Everything I found was so harsh and seemed to have very little to do with love. I had Cassie’s stories in my head – full of both spanking and love. When I found blogs in 2006 I began writing her stories. I was thrilled to find that others liked them too.
Who inspired the character of Allie in "Searching for Home"?
Allie has been a major character in my work since my third Cassie book. She began as Cassie’s young neighbor and they quickly close friend, despite the difference in their ages. She went on to become Cassie’s daughter-in-law. When she met Cal’s wife, Jenny, another close friendship formed. All my characters just seem to wander into my head. I don’t plan them.
What are some truly innovative advances in the art of storytelling?
I’m not sure that there are any innovative advances in storytelling. It’s been around and thriving since the beginning of man. But there many, many new avenues to find stories. Tons of new authors able to self-publish, audio books, pod casts… no one should be hurting for new stories.
How did you come up with the idea of your book, Cassie's Space?
I had been blogging Cassie’s stories for nearly six years before I truly thought about a novel. That’s when I began trying to group the stories into book form. I worried that it would be too much like a collection of short stories rather than a full length novel. But I worked hard weaving everything together and it seemed to work.
Which book took the longest to write in the Cal's Law series?
Probably the first one, Cal’s Law. It did begin as a short story, but then I had to get to know everyone and feel my way through. But the time I wrote the last three books, I knew my characters and I let them do most of the work.
What is your writing process like?
I sometimes feel more like a typist than a writer. I only loosely know where a scene will go. I know my characters well. I place them in a situation, then I close my eyes and watch and listen as it unfolds in my head. All I have to do then is type it up. I think this is why I like series so well. I hate working with strangers.
How can one become a better storyteller?
Tell stories! Seriously, practice writing stories about everything – incidents at work, things your kids or grandkids tell you, something strange you’ve seen on the streets. Many of my early stories (decades before I began really writing) came from song lyrics – this was before music videos. I liked making up stories to go with the words. Practice stories that make people laugh and cry. Practice makes perfect.
Do you think that nowadays people are living only a show off life and loyal friendship exists only in books and not in the real world?
I hope not. I do worry about younger people who depend so much on social media. I’d like to think that most people have at least a small core of friends who would drop everything to come to someone’s aid if called. Close friendships among women are a strong theme in all my books. Sometimes I find myself envying Cassie’s friendships.
What other things, apart from writing do you enjoy doing?
Reading, obviously. I enjoy spending time with my grown children and my two Golden Retriever grand dogs. My husband and I are beginning to venture back out into the world to do a little traveling and I enjoy keeping up with friends around the world through blogs and emails.
What is the most unusual thing that has happened when you’re writing?
Once when I was writing a scene, I had only a vague idea of what was going to happen. As I wrote, a complete stranger – someone I’d never thought about and had no idea she was in my head – burst onto the scene and completely took over. I was startled but delighted. This lovely woman, Lily, not only took control of that scene, she decided to stay and is now one of the main, and most beloved, characters in my books.
When did you join AllAuthor and what are your opinions about the website so far?
I’ve been a member for less than a year but I love the ease of being able to make my own banners that look so lovely and professional. I also like that I can find new authors and I love being notified when an author I’m following comes out with a new book.
