Why do you write?

I write because I love words and love playing with them. I used to be the go-to person if you needed a really bad poem for a celebration. The first book I wrote (co-wrote, actually) was THE HEALTHWISE HANDBOOK, a guide for consumers of health care. Throughout my business career, I wrote many product descriptions and lots of marketing materials, but at some point decided I would love to try to write fiction. I eventually found time and a supportive spouse and began to write fiction. I enjoy creating characters and putting them in uncomfortable positions and helping them find their way out of trouble.

Do you take your characters from real life?

Generally I do not. However, Roadkill, a favorite character in my first series who is returning in my fourth book, was introduced to me by my daughter. Other characters are blends of people I’ve met.

Where do you find ideas?

I try to be organized and save news clippings and snippets of conversations I’ve overheard along with those rare flashes of ideas, but I’m not basically well-organized, so often those ideas go missing or at least on walkabout, gone for a few months or years. Once I have an idea, what is hardest for me is knowing if it’s one that I’ll be able to “plump up” into a full story or novel.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

It’s very difficult for me to make things hard on my characters. I quickly grow fond of them and hate to put them to any trouble. That makes for boring fiction, so I keep working to up the conflict and increase the obstacles my characters must overcome.

Are you a plotter or a “pantser?”

I’ve tried both approaches and most recently have settled on a method I learned from author and coach Jess Lourey. She calls it Pyramid on a Point. Basically I start with a sentence and expand it into an informal outline.

What advice do you have for beginning or aspiring writers?

Read a lot, write a lot, and work hard not to compare yourself to others. Don’t give up on your dreams. Ever. But remember that our dreams can evolve. Don’t buy every book on writing. Pick a few and read them and use them.