Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’ve been an author and playwright for a few decades. My parents met on the set of “Arsenic and Old Lace” at the Redlands Footlighters Theater in Southern California, and I was raised at the theater; both on stage as well as behind the scenes. I started writing plays for my theater arts class at the private school where I was teaching so that everyone who wanted to be in a show could! When I was confronted with a divorce in my own life, I turned to writing to help me heal. Well, that turned into “Take Another Chance.” Since the first draft of that was completed, I started cranking out more books, as well as more plays. I’m so happy to share that 13 of my plays have been produced at various theatres from California to NYC!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Take Another Chance is Book 1 in the 5-book series Second Chances DO Happen! Although Take Another Chance started out as a way to help me heal from my own divorce, it is definitely fiction. The only similarities are the fact that I have two daughters, as does Grace, the heroine in the book. The rest of the characters actually were brought into being by talking with other women who had gone through divorces of their own. The ex-husband in the book is a conglomeration of all the bad traits from these women’s tales rolled into one super-ex. The hero is a cop. I was raised around cousins who were firefighters, cops, and sheriffs. So, of course, my first hero is a cop! Take Another Chance was first published with the working title of To Protect and Serve. I received some awesome feedback from readers and I went back to the book and made some changes, additions, and subtractions. I then gave the revised version to some of the readers and they loved the changes.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not so sure it’s that unusual, but I like to write in a busy coffee shop. The people and the noise seem to give me the perfect background noise I need to create. If I’m writing at home, I have an iTunes Playlist I put together called Romance Background for Writing. I plug in the earphones and it’s almost as good as the background noise at a coffee shop.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King’s “On Writing” has been phenomenal for understanding the craft. Kathleen Woodiwiss was my first romance author where I devoured everything she wrote. I was introduced to Michael Connelly by the detective who side-checked my police procedure writing for Take Another Chance. I love the way Connelly’s characters tell parts of the story through inside thoughts.
What are you working on now?
A lot! I’m just putting the finishing touches on Mahi-Mahi Matrimony as the 2nd book in the Second-Chances-DO-Happen series. I’ve already started The Romance Writer and the Geek as well as Doctor’s Orders and In His Arms as the next books to round out the series. I’ve also been commissioned to write a play for a theatre group in Lake Arrowhead, California. And finally, my composer husband and I are developing a new musical to get onto Broadway! www.talent-anewmusical.com
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Two major things:
1. Self-Publishing School training and 2. Dave Chessen’s Kindlepreneur training. I also love working with Awesome Gang. They work really hard to help us get our books seen by readers who love our genre.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! When you’re writing, don’t edit. Just write. Let the story pour out of you. Don’t have any attention on its correctness or grammar or anything else. Just write. Nothing else can happen until you get that rough draft out of you.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I attended a great seminar at the Writers’ of the Future in Los Angeles. They stated: “Regardless of the unique voice and vision, the first – and most important- thing that will make a writer different is actually finishing the story! It doesn’t matter how ragged, battered and pathetic that story is when it crosses the finish line. It doesn’t matter whether it is flash fiction or novel length…finishing is what will separate you from 90% of the writers who start to tell a story.”
What are you reading now?
I’ve gotten hooked on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. I’m also thoroughly enjoying all of Elana Johnson’s books!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Get Mahi-Mahi Matrimony published along with the rest of the series! I intend to publish a new book every 30 days. Finish the new play for the theatre in California. Finish writing the workshop script for our new musical.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Jude Deveraux’s Wishes.
Kathleen Woodiwiss’ The Wolf and the Dove.
Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game.
Stephen King’s The Stand.
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