Which city or town did you grow up in? Where did you go to college, and what was your major?
I grew up in a small city in Oregon--Albany. So small then—although it is now more developed—that after visiting the doctor, by the time I got to the pharmacy, word was out I was sick. I did my undergrad work at Oregon College of Education (now called Western Oregon College) and my grad work at the University of Oregon, finishing my Masters at California State, Los Angeles.
Are there any authors or books that have had a significant impact on your writing style or career as a writer?
I would say every book has an impact on my writing, for I learn from those authors who are brilliant, good, or still working on the craft like I am. Probably my favorite author would be Jose Saramago. His book “Blindness” is a brilliant lesson on the craft of themes. He is also a Nobel Prize Winner. Learning from the best makes the lessons more enriching.
Can you tell us about your journey as a writer? What inspired you to start writing novels?
Like many authors, I started with crafting stories and then wanted more room to develop plots, themes, and characters. The novel gives me this ability to stretch out.
Many of your novels incorporate paranormal elements. What fascinates you about the paranormal, and how do you balance it with the other genres you explore?
I have been influenced by paranormal events since I was a child. My curiosity about how these events have affected my life is merely a question I ask my readers--how these events may affect theirs. In other words, I can’t be that special. Surely someone else relates. And if they do, I hope they contact me and share. Or possibly open up to their own experience.
Your Lillian Dove Mystery Series features an amateur sleuth as the protagonist. What drew you to this genre, and what do you find most intriguing about Lillian Dove's character?
Embracing curiosity has always drawn me to reading mysteries. I was inspired to create my Lillian Dove character out of compassion for my Aunt Lillian. She was estranged from my father because of her problem with drinking. While I never met her, I felt that paranormal link to her. I wanted to give her sobriety through my writing. Thus, Lillian is a sober alcoholic. I learned, the problem isn’t the drinking, drinking is merely self medicating. So in my series, Lillian is learning to take on life without the aid of vodka. And as she will tell you in “With a Vengeance,” the fourth book in the series, she means to learn to seize the day.
"Into the Storm" received a Clue Award nomination in 2021. Can you share some insights into the creative process behind this suspenseful crime thriller? What inspired the story?
Here we come back to Jose Saramago. Using his book “Blindness,” I wanted to take a word and develop two-three themes around it in a novel. I took the word alien: alien in thought, alien as in immigrant, alien from another world. Having once had a UFO experience, I thought combinding genres, Crime and Science Fiction would be fun. It was! If I am not having fun writing, then why do I write???
As the editor of Le Coeur de l’Artiste, an online book review magazine, how has this role influenced your own writing and your perspective on the literary world?
Stephen King said it best, if you want to be a writer, read a lot and write a lot. Since I am an avid reader, I learn from each book I review. But, from also having a background in sales and marketing, I know to give as well as receive. I don’t promote myself in my magazine. In it, I review authors I think demonstrate good literary qualities so that my readers can also learn and enjoy.
Your website blog, L’Artiste, features author interviews. What do you enjoy most about interviewing fellow authors, and have any of these interactions impacted your own work?
I don’t know how interviewing authors has impacted my work. I think interviewing them validates my progress in writing. I am not the only one who struggles with craft…discipline…letting go of expectations and enjoying the experience.
Are there any specific themes or messages you aim to convey through your novels, and if so, could you elaborate on them?
Themes I enjoy working with: choice, the meaning of life, perspective, open to possibilities and change. The idea that each person sees life and reality from a different perspective blows my mind. Quantum Physics has added to this mind-blowing experience. What if each of us has a multitude of choices to choose from, and what we choose comes from our perspective at the moment? What if we would have chosen differently? Can we stop, and make another choice any time we decide to do so? Are there a multi-amount of ME having the same experience? Sorry, I got carried away. But, Quantum Physics themes run in most of my books. I especially dealt with it in “At the Edge of No Return,” which won a paranormal award.
How do you approach character development in your books? Do you draw inspiration from real-life individuals or experiences?
The characters are provided by my muse, but I guess I draw from bits and pieces of those I knew or know. I get close to them by doing a through interview (or therapy session) with each before I begin to write.
Can you share any insights into your writing process? Do you have any rituals or habits that help you stay productive and creative?
I write every morning. I have no word count. Genreally I have to remember I have a life beyond writing and need to live it as well. I read in the afternoon.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors, especially those looking to blend different genres like you do in your work?
Let go of who you think you are as a writer and write the story that is niggling you to put it on the page. I think too many authors get caught up in thinking they need to “brand” themselves that they limit their gift of storytelling. They become busy thinking a bestseller is the ultimate achievement. I think the body of work is a lasting legacy a writer can leave in a lifetime.
In addition to your writing, do you have any other creative interests or hobbies that influence your work?
Hobbies? Who has time? However, I do enjoy playing with my new Rat Terrier puppies, Bruno and Franko. Spending time with my husband. Traveling. We take a long vacation at least twice of year. And I enjoy time on the California Central Coast taking in nature and nurture.
Are there any upcoming projects or books you'd like to tease or share with your readers?
November 3rd I am launching my first real cozy mystery, “Cookin’ Up Murder.” I change-off my writing schedule on weekends or between novel projects and work on something different. Work on something just for fun. This has produced a new series: Davidson & Welsh Investigations.
Are you satisfied with the AllAuthor experience thus far? Is there anything about the site you particularly like or dislike?
I have enjoyed the interaction with AllAuthor. Especially how this organization didn’t just take the dollar, but offered two back.
