Having spent your childhood in Texas, which was your favorite place to go?
I was born in Fort Worth but actually spent my childhood overseas as my father was in the military. I grew up in Italy and Brazil, lived all over the US and ended up back in Texas.
Do you remember the first book you ever read?
I can’t remember the first book I ever read but my all time favorite book is Siddartha.
What did you love the most about dogs? How did you get involve in Dog Rescue?
Dogs are absolutely spiritual and amazing. I was originally a cat person but found myself sucked into helping a dog rescuer on a weekend and from then on, it was dogs and more dogs. That was over 25 years ago. We claim to be a country of dog lovers, but from where I stand, and being the the south, the cruelty and negligence is overwhelming! I still love cats, never having lived without one and presently have a 12 year old male feral that I trapped as a baby thinking I would find a wonderful home for him. It took a good ten years before he let me touch him. Now he’s my baby. He has an awesome catio so he can smell and feel the outside without being in any danger.
How do you balance mystery and suspense, conflict and emotion in your books?
How do I balance mystery and suspense? Everyone loves NOT knowing the end of any story. The challenge is making a story interesting enough that the reader can’t read fast enough to get to the bottom of the plot.
How was your experience of writing your book, Cradle on the Wind?
Although Cradle on the Wind is an emotional story and not a mystery, the ending is not predictable. I hope I can keep the reader engaged enough to learn the protagonist’s fate. I wrote this book with my mother and there were a lot of arguments. That’s all I’m saying.
Do you prefer handwritten manuscripts or digital manuscripts?
I prefer digital manuscripts. I don’t have to struggle with others’ handwriting efforts.
What does your day look like?
My days are pretty awesome. I get up early, take care of my little stray street dog who is still insane after three years with me. She was around five when I found her, wasn’t fixed, wasn’t housebroken, had heart worms (which is horrific in Texas and so preventable yet so expensive to treat). She also had mast cell cancer on her elbow and pre cancer in her breast. She is completely perfect now but still can’t be social and goes nuts around other dogs. Who knows what happened to her in the past? I get my cup of coffee, listen to the news, get upset, then sit at the computer and start writing.
What is the future of book publishing?
I think there will always be hard cover books. Something about holding one and reading by a nightlight will never change. Not to mention you can fall asleep without having to turn it off! But ebooks are so affordable and easy to read so I imagine that is where it’s heading.
Do you read the kind of books you publish?
In spite of writing fiction, I prefer reading non-fiction. It goes with my news addiction.
In your experience, what is the key to developing a good story?
A good story follows a good character. Find the character and a story will fall around them.
Name a time when your patience was tested. How did you keep your emotions in check?
My patience is tested daily. Did I mention I have a chihuahua?
Is there anything new that you're working on?
I am working on a screenplay at the moment. I chose AllAuthor after a wonderful friend who has at least five books listed on this site told me about it. I am so happy she did.
