Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?

My father. His chosen career was journalism and he always read us kids bedtime stories. He infused me with his love of fiction. His dream was to write novels, but with five kids to feed, it never happened. I wanted to do my father proud, and that was a big part of my drive.

How long have you been writing?

Since I was eight years old. I started writing seriously in 1990. Sold my first book in 1994.

How does your book relate to your spiritual practice or other life path?

My spiritual practice enhances my writing because it quiets my mind and puts me in contact with the source of my creativity.

What do you think most characterizes your writing?

Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not very good at analyzing my own work. I’ve been told I write complex characters and do small town settings and community well. I do like adding some kind of lore, legend, myth or creativity to my work.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

The first draft is always the hardest part of me. Plotting is fun. Revisions are fun. The first draft is pure hard work.

Are there underrepresented groups or ideas featured if your book? If so, discuss them.

My heroine is adopted and bi-racial. The book also features a special needs population.The heroine learns she has a half-sister with Down Syndrome. I used to work with mentally challenged children and adults when I was a nurse for the state of Texas.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?

I write full time and support the household on my earnings. That’s affected my writing by forcing me to produce. Most writers can write far more than they think they can.

What are some day jobs that you have held? If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.

I was a registered nurse for 22 years. In most of my books, someone eventually ends up at the hospital. Nursing also impacted my writing because the flexibly gave me the opportunity to write. For instance, I used to work double shifts on the weekend for full time pay and benefits, giving me Monday-Friday off to write.

What do you like to read in your free time?

Mysteries and thrillers.

Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?

I chew gum when I write because someone told me it increased creativity. Now it’s a habit. When the gum comes out, it’s a signal to my brain to get down to work.

What book do you wish you could have written?

It’s not a book, but I wish I could write like Breaking Bad creator, Vince Gilligan. I love the way his mind works.

Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you to write?

Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Tyler, John Irving, Donald Westlake, Janet Evanovich, Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, Mark Twain, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Kurt Vonnegut, Harper Lee, Charlotte Bronte, Louisa Mae Alcott…there’s so many!

How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?

The names just come to me. When I was a kid, I kept a list of intriguing or unusual names. My mother thought I was weird.

What do you want your tombstone to say?

And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Bewitched! Wiggle my nose and the house is instantly cleaned.

What literary character is most like you?

Jo in Little Women.

Where is one place you want to visit that you haven’t been before?

Australia and New Zealand.

If you were an animal in a zoo, what would you be?

I wouldn’t want to be in a zoo. (me neither!)

What is something you want to accomplish before you die?

You know what? I’m content. I’m finished with the grasping, driven, gotta achieve, achieve, achieve phase of my life. I only want to do things that bring me joy. It might be as simple as eating a ripe peach plucked from one of my trees or conquering a yoga headstand. Whatever makes me joyous in the moment. That’s what I want.