Where were you born? Which is your favorite childhood memory?
I was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and one of my favorite childhood memories is the lemonade stand I set up every summer with the girl who lived next door. We thought we were such big-time tycoons!
Do you remember the first book you picked up to read? What was it about?
I’m sure it wasn’t the first book I read but I clearly remember reading a Nancy Drew book under the covers with a flashlight. She was such an intrepid strong girl – I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. Probably part of what attracts me to mysteries even now.
Did you always want to become a journalist?
No, initially I wanted to be an astronaut! But at that time, there weren’t any women astronauts so by the time I hit high school, I’d settled on journalism. I remember reading about how Gloria Steinem had gone undercover as a Playboy bunny and written an expose about the clubs and that seemed like a very glamorous profession. In my senior year in high school, I edited the school paper and also got to write various features. I can still remember being thrilled to see my name in print and as I remember, our little publication won a city-wide prize.
Who is the most supportive person in your life when it comes to your writing?
That would have to be Jennifer, a fellow author (she writes Highland romance and has published 4 novels). She is always praising me. We’re not regular writing “partners” per se—we don’t trade pages or anything like that—but she loves my writing style and also will introduce me to people as “The Queen of First Lines.”
What do you love the most about writing suspense?
Thinking of a way to hide the clues—hopefully successfully.
When is writing hardest for you? What do you do to pick yourself up during those moments?
It’s hardest when I don’t have a deadline. It’s my old journalism training coming out—I need a deadline because I’m a procrastinator and a little bit lazy. When I’ve got edits to do or a column to write, I get right on it. But when no one is waiting for the work, I can find tons of things to do besides putting my butt in the chair.
What challenges did you face while writing your debut, Truth and Other Lies?
Finding a strong enough plot to wrap around the characters. Initially it was an adoption/lost birth mother story. None of that remains. I also initially tackled three points of view – way too many for a debut author. Once I scaled it back to one, and amped up the careers for all three of my major women characters, I was able to write the first draft in 3 months but it took me two years to get to that point.
Who inspired the character of Megan Barnes in "Truth and Other Lies"?
My younger self. Many of the character traits I wrote for Megan were mine in my twenties—a bit of naivete, very opinionated about political issues, my desire for a career and a role model, and my conflicts with my mother.
As an author now, what does your daily schedule look like?
I write in the mornings, generally 10-1. I have a separate office upstairs where I’m surrounded by bookshelves and isolated from my husband and more importantly, the kitchen. My dog, a Sheltie, is generally hunkered down at my feet and it’s got a window for natural sunlight. It’s my happy place. Then I have lunch, and do regular life stuff, which lately means marketing for my debut (still) or doing my podcast, writing a blog, stuff like that.
Do you begin writing a story with the ending already in mind?
This time I have. I’m writing around a theme, which is revenge, so I had to be clear about who the protagonist and who the antagonist was. I know “what” needs to happen at the end, just not exactly sure where it’s going to happen. And after I started writing this one (tentatively titled Blindspot), I thought of an additional last-minute twist, which I love.
What are some tips for becoming a psychologist?
I worked as a volunteer at a crisis center back in college and that’s where I got exposed to “counseling” people in trouble. I haven’t worked as a psychologist for many years but I did develop good listening skills which I think has helped me as the host of a podcast. I’m interested in other people’s life stories so I’m good at probing deeper into what’s behind the novels they’ve written.
How has been your experience of blogging for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers?
I enjoy it and hate it in equal measure. Enjoy because it’s a deadline every month and it gives me a chance to examine some part of writing that interests me and also gives me new content to share on my own website. Hate it when I can’t come up with a topic that I feel hasn’t been done to death.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I’m terrible at settings. I generally have to go back during revision and put descriptions in because in my mind’s eye, I can see the environment very clearly and forget that the reader often doesn’t know where we are. I also struggle a bit with writing emotion. When it’s done well, I admire it in other’s writing, but in the first draft, mine either sounds superficial or way too melodramatic.
Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about?
Yes, I’m 200 pages into a domestic suspense/women’s fiction. The elevator pitch is: An ambitious district attorney hunts for the stalker threatening her and her teenage daughter, only to wind up arrested for his murder when he turns up dead.
When did you join AllAuthor and what are your opinions about the website so far?
Very well organized and comprehensive. I joined about a year ago when I started the publicity campaign for my debut.
