Tell us a few things about your early life or childhood. What developed your passion about all the arts since early childhood?
Born a free spirit, I suppose, I had the encouragement from my parents to express myself. I wore the Bo Derek braids in my hair long before the movie TEN. I also led a sit-in at my elementary school to allow that students could wear jeans. And that, we did. The arts? They’re an expression of one’s self, aren’t they? All of them, including the written word.
How often do you go to art exhibitions? Being a former stage performer, what were your biggest fears while going on the stage? How did you overcome them?
I rarely go to big exhibitions, but I do enjoy the one-time shows, the artist with only a few pieces, and the community sponsored art sales. Art is a living soul, to me, whether on a canvas, the stage, the warm moist clay, or the blank page. For me, it doesn’t matter the medium. The fear is in exposing your true self. The goal is to do this in the most honest way possible. The outcome is seemingly up to the observer. The onlooker may loathe Renoir yet covet Duchamp. In reality, any success will be found within the artist.
As an Author, what do you believe is your best asset? What three words would you use to describe yourself?
When you find your passion to write you become diligent and disciplined. After all, you are not writing unless you are alone and at the keyboard. And since most serious writers are known to break the rules, I am a polarity of three: Brave/Afraid. Delusional/Factual. Serious/Hilarious.
Who do you think pushed you the most and has acted as your biggest source of inspiration and motivation throughout your entire career as an author?
Undoubtedly, my husband, who arrived home one night to the reality that I had totally changed careers in the blink of his eyes. “I’m going to be a novelist,” I said. “Okay. Let’s go for it,” he replied.
How was your experience of being a president of an interior design firm? How do you think your early work careers have helped you shape into a writer?
As another art form, interior design provided me with an exciting creative outlet only to be encumbered by the inevitable corporate board feuds over colors, of finding tradespeople so high you had to peel them off of the ceiling, and even the barge of furniture that literally sank in the Atlantic with one irate client that blamed me. I thought about writing a series about a rogue interior designer, but this is in my past. Tabula rasa!
What lessons did you learn while the endorsement and long-term mentoring from the late Sidney Sheldon?
Mr. Sheldon provided me with the foundation of encouragement and sources to further my education. I knew of his bi-polar condition he so eloquently revealed in his autobiography, The Other Side of Me. In an odd way, this prompted me to include a slice of social redemption within each novel of suspense I pen. Acceptance. Honesty. Forgiveness. Messages of hope for what some see as a dismal humanity. Love trumps all.
What was the inspiration for your book, "Kiss and Kill?" Did you expect it to be endorsed by USA Today as must read suspense?
Inspiration is a crazy word for me. I never know where these ideas come from but I can tell you sometimes my husband queries me as he wonders if it’s safe for him to crawl into bed next to me! I’m an avid listener and explorer of the deeper caverns of the human mind. Sometimes I spin tales around ideas I am somewhat familiar with in that the circumstances have crossed my path in this lifetime. It seems that whenever I expect something it rarely comes to fruition. Best to be delighted in surprise with good news!
How much do you research to develop in-depth character portrayals and rich scene settings? Why did you choose Tucson as the seeting of your book, "Bye Bye Bones?"
Sheldon and I conversed about the remarkable road he journeyed in his many years as a writer. There was no internet. Not even a word processor! If he wanted to write about distant lands he had only the wisdom held within the cathedral of books that lined the library walls, and only later could he afford to travel. He certainly didn’t have auto-correct. Can you imagine? So, I love researching. Although we have to scour for accuracy, how amazing is it that the entire universe is at our command?
Hailing from colorful Colorado, Tucson has been my home for over thirteen years. There is such a healing that occurs within the soul when one develops a reverence for the desert. It was a natural that this became my setting for my gutsy private investigator Cassidy Clark, as she debuted in Bye Bye Bones.
While writing TRACKS, I had the good fortune to visit Italy. It seemed like the perfect country to bring along Cassidy Clark’s pair of scrutinizing eyes.
I continue with my first series and Cassidy as I pen my seventh novel, Lethal Trust. Scene and plot, for me, are secondary to extreme character developments. My characters might as well be applying for a Top Secret Security Clearance. In other words, I know what they ate for breakfast before I write them.
What is the biggest challenge of writing a suspense novel? What do you enjoy writing more - Romance or Suspense?
My mom raised me to read suspense novels, starting out with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. It’s my thing, although I constantly remind my loyal readers that although I can write blood I will pass out to the floor at more than a visual tablespoon of the liquid! I LOVE tying up all of the loose strings. I think it’s wickedly fun to keep track of all of these details and clues, only to weave them together in twists.
You have published two books in your "A Cassidy Clark Novel Book Series." Do you plan on ending it after a third book and making it a trilogy or extending it to a fourth or maybe even fifth book?
Lethal Trust will arrive this spring and I’m very excited for its release. We’re delving into a family trust involving seven heirs-apparent, and only ONE will receive the whole enchilada of a two-billion-dollar business entity. One of those heirs-apparent engages the services of Cassidy Clark, our feisty private investigator after two of her siblings are found dead. I’ll continue writing Cassidy as long as my fans want to hear from her. It’s that simple.
Are any instances from "Coverboys & Curses" taken from real life? Do you incorporate stories from your personal life in any of your books?
I prefer not to answer this as the answer is yes. I’m protecting the not-so-innocent.
How did you began writing A Cassidy Clark Novel Book 2, "TRACKS?" Do you find it more challenging to write the first book in a series or to write the subsequent novels?
I am blessedly always challenged. Always compelled. Some have told me Cassidy Clark is my alter ego. Perhaps. She decidedly walks into situations that I would not venture. Cassidy started talking to me in my dreams. This is solely how she came about to begin this series. Gutsy. Strong. Feisty. Yet, vulnerable. A redhead. Ring a bell?
Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about?
Lethal Trust will be released this spring. A nasty family trust. A recipe for murder. An insight into the wretched path of Alzheimer’s, and questions about whether blood really is thicker than water.
How do you feel about the rise in digital books in recent years?
A very good question. After all of these years it remains a virgin frontier. About sixty percent of my sales come from eBooks. This is all good and yet I still smile when readers tell me that a physical book in their hands is the only way to go. Either way, I’m thrilled to see the children reading! I am saddened with how much piracy is out there, and there was a time I had invested my efforts to remove my books from piracy venues. Time-waster. It’s distressing that avid readers have no respect for the time it takes for an author to produce a title that they will knowingly steal these works from illegitimate sources.
How do you usually promote your books? What do you think of AllAuthor and would you recommend it to your other author friends?
Admittedly, I am new to All Author. I will tell you that I am surprised at the quality of depth in your interview questions. Thank you. I have recommended your site to several authors. I need to explore more of you!
