author faq's

READERS ASK ME A LOT OF THE SAME QUESTIONS –
So here’s my best shot at answering the most frequent ones:

Where do you get your ideas?
The Idea Bank. Currently, I’m overdrawn. Seriously, I have way more ideas than time to write the books they generate. I get many ideas from the newspaper (I read four a day and promise you that there’s a story idea on EVERY page and even in some ads), television and just by being a bit of an anthropologist and scrutinizing people. Some of my best books have been the result of casual conversations and sometimes I have to just stare at the computer for hours and hope something develops. I also get a lot of story ideas when I’m in the process of researching the premise.  All I know is I hope they never end!

Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always liked to make up stories and I love to write. Combine that with a great typing course I took in tenth grade (I signed up strictly because some boy I liked was taking it), a lot of background in drama and communications as well as a life-long love of reading and romance, and the career seems like a natural fit for me.

What’s your average day like?
A Swedish massage every morning, champagne for lunch and shopping in the afternoon. No, really. I’m a romance writer. In all honesty, I write every single minute that my kids are in school. They leave, I hit my home office to write, edit, revise, proof, or do research. I have marketing and promotional responsibilities every day, but when I’m deep into a book, I tend to get very nasty about anything that pulls me out. In the late afternoon, I do full Mom Duty, including extracurricular activities, homework supervision and endless hours of driving. The very cool thing about my life is this: my husband is retired and he loves to cook. That makes me a very happy woman.

If you didn’t write, what would you do?
I can barely remember Life Before Writing. I have no idea what I’d do – I suppose I’d still be in PR and advertising, always writing something, even if it is Annual Reports and real estate brochures. I would love my husband to open a restaurant, and if I convinced him to do that, I could be the hostess!

Are there real people in your books?
Trust me, if I’ve met you and you made an impression, you are or will be in one of my books. The names are changed to protect the guilty.

What is a bullet catcher?
A bullet catcher is a slang term for bodyguards. When I was researching bodyguards for Kill Me Twice, the term kept popping up in articles and videos about personal security. I decided it would be a fun name for my fictional, secret firm run by a former CIA agent and staffed by hunky, hot, handsome guys are experts in protection and safety.

Are you going to write more romantic suspense and, if so, will Gabe have his own book?
Yes and yes!  For the foreseeable future (through 2013) I’m concentrating on my new contemporary series and my young adult novels. I’m loving these so much and really enjoying the creative resurgence that comes with a whole new genre. But I love me some bad ass bodyguards and the women who make them lose control! And I’m afraid if I don’t write Gabe’s book, a lot of readers will be very unhappy...as well as the awesome woman I’ve already mentally paired him with.  The next romantic suspense I write will be his story and I strongly suspect it will combine both my series and/or start a whole new spinoff series. Stay tuned!

How do you do your research?
I usually start with internet searches, buy books on the subject, read newspaper articles, find videos and tapes and then interview some experts. I love research and I would never, ever give the task over to an independent researcher – my very best character traits and story ideas come from the research.

Are any of your books based on true stories?
Absolutely. My first novel, Tropical Getaway was based on the real loss of a passenger sailing cruise ship, the Fantome, which was part of the Windjammer Barefoot Cruise lines. After the Fantome was lost in Hurricane Mitch, I was part of a small team of damage control experts brought in to manage the influx of horrendous media coverage blaming the company for the loss of the ship. This heartwrenching situation, which included writing the eulogy the CEO had to give for 31 lost crewmen, really left an impression on me. Tropical Getaway opens with a similar loss and the CEO giving the eulogy for his departed crew. From there, of course, I changed the story, the cause of the shipwreck and added a lot of romance and suspense. And, best of all, I gave them a very happy ending.

Have you been to all the exotic places you write about?
I’ve visited many of my settings (St. Barts, Versailles, Newport, Miami Beach, Daytona Beach) but in other cases, I’ve relied on research and interviews with residents and realtors. To quote Nora Roberts on this subject: “I *have* an imagination.” I use it to create fictional settings and imagine what real ones are like.

How did you sell your first book?
This story is different for every writer, but if you ask enough of us, you will start to see a pattern: persistence and tenacity is every bit as important as talent and craft in this business. You know the clichés: believe in yourself, put your BIC (Butt In Chair) and write the very best story you can. Read in your subgenre, enter writing contests, network with other writers, learn the industry, submit, submit, submit and then write another one and do it all over again. That’s just about the only way to do it and it’s exactly how it happened for me

Where do you live?
I live on the east coast of Florida in a fairly small town. I have lived in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, and Miami and dream of retiring to the wine country someday to eat, drink and write into my golden years.

Does your husband read your books?
He does – usually before I send them to my editors. He’s an excellent proofreader and has helped me enormously with various technical issues and anything related to food. He’s my first and favorite reader – if I can make him teary-eyed, I know I’ve done my job. I have two teenagers and a darling Australian terrier named Pepper.

Is your personal life as exciting as the heroines you write about?
In a word, no. If you’re asking if my sex life is anything like my love scenes then I’ll have to remind you that I kill people in my books too…I don’t have to DO something to imagine what it’s like.

To what do you attribute your success?
My father instilled in me an amazing work ethic, self-confidence, a sense of humor, and a thick skin. My mother gave me the love of words and writing, and never let me use the word “interesting” in a book report. My sister encouraged me to turn my bedtime stories into books. All three of my brothers are published authors and convinced me that mere mortals can write and sell books. My husband agreed that I should walk away from a lucrative PR career to pursue a not-so-lucrative dream because he knew I’d make it. My children tell strangers that “mommy writes books” and then invite them to my local booksignings.

In a word, my family is at the root of any and all success.

Will you ever write category romance again?
I hope so! I loved writing for Silhouette Desire and would welcome the opportunity to write more in the future.

What else are you writing?
I’m very excited to be debuting in the Young Adult area with a hardcover release from Delacorte Press in 2012.  Called Don’t You Wish, this is a light paranormal adventure about a teenager who learns one of life’s toughest lessons:  be careful what you wish for.  Stay tuned for lots more exciting news about this new chapter in my writing life!