Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I planned to become a foreign correspondent. I received a Master’s in Journalism from U.C. Berkeley, lived in Japan and traveled throughout Asia to earn my journalistic “creds.” When life, love, marriage, and kids made that line of work difficult—actually, impossible–I discovered it was much more fun to write my own stories with endings that satisfied rather than being stuck writing “just the facts.” My first books were romantic suspense, and one of the stories quickly evolved into a long-running mystery series (the Angie Amalfi mysteries). But I’ve always loved thrillers as well as romance, historicals, and romantic fantasy—in other words, any book that elicits emotions—and that is my goal in my writing. Now, with my sons grown and my husband retired, I have time to write the books I’ve always wanted.
A few years ago, we left the San Francisco Bay Area where I was born, and now live on several acres in the foothills above Boise, Idaho. I love it here—it’s very different from anything I’ve known before. I write at home, surrounded by nature, with beautiful views overlooking a valley and mountains far beyond. My favorite music ranges from classical and opera to Mo-town and Creedence Clearwater Revival. I also love the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, spicy ethnic food of all types, Dr. Who, and just about every crime show on TV, particularly Castle and Person of Interest.
To date, I’ve written 22 books, of which 21 have been published, and one will probably never see the light of day unless I figure out why it simply doesn’t “work.” I’ve also got a closet filled with “half-way” projects that I may go back to at some point. Most of the books (15 of them) are part of the Angie Amalfi mystery series.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
ANCIENT ECHOES, my latest novel, is a paranormal thriller. I was inspired to write a book set in Idaho ever since moving here over ten years ago and being intrigued by the emptiness and beauty of this state (there are more people living in and around San Francisco than in the entire state!). Working on the book gave me an opportunity to do a lot of research—to learn, for example, that when some railroad engineers explored the area along the Salmon River in order to lay railroad tracks, it took them months and they declared it to be the most dangerous and difficult terrain in the entire country. No train goes through the area to this day.
Then, a weird thing happened to me. I was in a dusty old bookstore in a small town near Boise, and a very thin, but oversized (about 10”x13”) book practically leaped off the shelf at me. I have no idea what made me open it, but it was a reprint of a book from 1624 reputed to be a true translation of a manuscript by the alchemist, Nicolas Flamel (whose name may be familiar to Harry Potter fans). The book was written in a weird Germanic looking font, and filled with strange pictures. It told the story of Flamel finding The Book of Abraham the Jew, and after several decades learning to understand it sufficiently that he was able to create gold. Needless to say, I bought the book, and as I learned about alchemy, I realized I could interweave Idaho history and alchemy, and turn the story into a thriller.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve been seriously writing ever since high school when I was on the school newspaper and wrote a school gossip column (how’s that for a way to make yourself unpopular in high school?). If I have any unusual writing habits, they now seem normal to me! But then, all writers are a bit crazy or we wouldn’t spend so many hours alone writing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
For ANCIENT ECHOES, I was very much influenced by the paranormal thrillers of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs. They are able to take normal American settings and make them seem creepily paranormal. I love that! Also, I adored Elizabeth Kostova’s THE HISTORIAN, both because of the size and depth of the book, and also by the way she interwove old writings, letters, and history, with what her modern day characters were experiencing. I tried to do much of that in ANCIENT ECHOES.
What are you working on now?
I’m actually planning three books. The first, and farthest along, is a sequel to ANCIENT ECHOES. It doesn’t have a title yet, but it follows Michael Rempart, the archeologist, to new and equally dangerous experiences. I also write a long running mystery series, the Angie Amalfi mysteries. The fifteen book, COOKING SPIRITS, was just released and I’m already hearing from Angie’s fans asking about the NEXT book. There will be one. The third book I’m planning comes as a complete surprise to me. With the e-book revolution, I put out a simple story I had written years ago, a romantic fantasy called THE GHOST OF SQUIRE HOUSE. It was not anything that interested my agent or publisher who said things like, “You’re a mystery writer, to publish a little romantic fantasy would confuse readers.” I guess readers aren’t as easily confused as they feared, or the book has found a lot of new readers, but I’ve gotten many requests for a sequel to it. In fact, one reviewer on Amazon challenged me to write such a sequel. Of course, I can’t back down from a challenge!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method I’ve found is to post on sites such as Awesome Gang to tell people about new books, free books, or bargain books. It’s necessary to get the book into the hands of readers, even if it means reducing the price to zero for short periods of time. Readers need to learn about the book before anything else can happen, then read it, and if they like it, they will post good reviews that will encourage others to give the book a try.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, rewrite, and then put the manuscript down for a while so you can read it with a “fresh” take. And then rewrite again. Too often, the author knows what the words “should” be saying…even when they don’t actually say that. The words on the page, not the vision that’s in the author’s head, are all that the reader sees. Make sure the page is complete before the work is published. Listen to that little voice in your head that says, “This section is kind of dull/confusing/awkward (whatever), but I’m sure the reader will love it.” No…they won’t. Listen to that voice and correct the problem.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“You can correct what you’ve written to make it better, but you can’t correct a blank page.” In other words, don’t try to write perfectly…just write. Get words down on the page, and you can always go back later and make them as close to perfect as you’re able. But get the words on the page. Writing is a craft, which means the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it.
What are you reading now?
I have such a gargantuan “to be read” pile…including on my Kindle…it isn’t even funny. At the moment I’m reading a book about social media, another on marketing, and for fun, an old story I somehow missed by romance author and friend, Patti Berg, called BORN TO BE WILD.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m one of the founders and current board member of the Idaho Writers Guild here in Boise, Idaho, and organizing conferences and programs for new writers as well as creating marketing and networking opportunities for professional writers takes up a lot of my time, but it’s fun, and gets me away from my computer and provides opportunities to meet people. As for myself as a writer, I’ve got three books (see above) just waiting to find a life! It’s always an adventure to see how each new book will turn out—some are docile and pretty much do what the author wants, and others simply have a mind of their own.
What is your favorite book of all time?
LITTLE WOMEN is the first book I ever read that so completely absorbed me that I sobbed when the young sister died. I never before realized how a person could become lost in a book, and I loved that feeling. That book opened the door to a lifetime of reading pleasure.
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