What do you miss the most about your childhood home?
The lightning bugs on a summer evening. I often played outside after supper and loved to chase them while they winked on and off. Although we still live in the same general area, there are no lightning bugs to be seen these days.
What encouraged you to leave the classroom some years ago to write full time?
In all honesty, I wore two hats-teacher and writer-and worked at both jobs until I reached retirement age. I loved doing both and wasn't willing to give up either.
Has being a teacher helped you in your writing career?
Yes and no. I had certification in Language Arts, which meant I used the spelling, punctuation, grammar, and writing skills I learned earning the certificate. But I spent most of my career teaching science, which made more use of my math skills than my writing skills.
From where did you learn playing ukulele?
I'm self-taught from a chord chart. But it was my fifth instrument and I was blessed to have a strong background in music theory before I ever picked up my first uke. I play in two performing groups now which is tremendous fun!
What inspired you to write the novel, Mission: Treachery?
This one's interesting. I wrote a coming of age short story about two young gay men for the Boroughs anthology 'A Young Man's Fancy' and created this tough, he-man Army colonel father who at the same time completely supports his gay son. I loved Colonel Bear Bustamante and so did my publisher. She asked me if I'd like to do a series around Bear and his soldiers at Fort Sam Houston. I jumped at the chance and the rest is history.
How difficult was it to finish writing the book, Rescued?
It wasn't hard to finish at all. My story in 'Rescued' uses characters from the Smoky Blue series who needed their story told but not in a novel. The real little heroine of my story in 'Rescued' is the rescue pup Cocoa. I told essentially the story of her rescue out from under a car and her integration into the family. While the humans in the story are figments of my imagination, Cocoa's very real and sitting on the bed beside me right now crunching on a morsel of doggie treat.
Out of all five, which book took the longest to write in the book, Heart Beat?
Only one of the stories in 'Heartbeat' is mine. Again, I used characters from an ongoing series, this time the Durango Street Theatre series, whose story could be told as a short piece. Jake and Marcie and their daughters do appear again in later installments of the series.
What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
It depends on the writing. Good writing in a textbook or instruction manual and good fiction writing are two completely different things. Good fiction grabs the interest of the reader from page one and keeps them entertained throughout the story. The plot can be a bit outrageous, but the characters must be sympathetic and engaging even if they start the story as enemies. A command of spelling, sentence structure and punctuation are essential, because errors seriously distract the reader (which is why I think a good copy editor is worth their weight in gold).
What is your writing kryptonite? Inversely, what is something that never fails to inspire you?
My kryptonite is brain fatigue. I'm a plotter and always have my plot sitting next to me so I know where the story is going, but after four or five hours my brain is so tired of creating I can't string two words together. My inspiration is an eagerness to get the next chunk of story out of my head into the manuscript.
What's something on your bucket list that you think is unique?
I played my ukulele and sang the old Eagles song 'Take it Easy' on the corner in Winslow, Arizona. And yes, there are pictures.
What has been the most important lesson you've learned as a writer so far?
Not to compare myself to other writers. My voice is unique and I need to respect that. I'm going to say here that my publisher makes this very easy. While everyone else was being told to write cowboys and children, she was willing to let me write a series about bluegrass musicians and another about a community theater, and now a black ops detachment.
Which is the easiest to learn for a beginner — writing a series or writing a standalone?
Hmm. I don't know the answer to that. I wrote my first eighteen books under the pen name Emily Elliott for Candlelight Ecstasy back in the eighties and those were mostly standalones because in the eighties that's what the publishers wanted. It's only in my 'second' career (I sold my first book to Boroughs in 2012) that the series was the preferred format for both writers and publishers.
If there’s one genre you never see yourself doing, what would it be and why?
Science fiction or horror. My mind doesn't work that way.
Which is the next book you are working on? Is it a series or a stand-alone book?
I am working on more entries into the Bear's Brigade series. 'Mission Treachery' was the first of eight stories involving my black ops characters.
When did you join AllAuthor? What do you think of the experience so far? Do you have any feedback?
I joined Allauthor last fall and appreciate everything you've done for me.
