FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is your writing regimen like?
First of all, I would definitely not use the word regimen when it comes to me and writing. I tend to write when I have time, which lately, has been little. I was, and am, a stay-at-home mom and am finding it challenging to change my ingrained habits to allow for the added endeavor of writing. It's a work-in-progress presently. As am I as a writer. My goal is to make it a priority every week day. It may mean writing as little as an hour some days and as much as seven or eight others, but at the very least, words, sentences, paragraphs will be put to paper (computer) on a daily basis.
How long does it take you to write a book?
It varies. Sometimes I have a particular jag of intense focus and finish in a few months, but I think that my preferred method is to take six to nine months to complete the process. It incorporates time to mull things over and contemplate options in the story.
What authors do you like to read?
I was initially introduced to Nicholas Sparks, from there I began reading Nora Roberts. Branching out to authors that hadn't been recommended to me, I found Barbara Delinsky, Luanne Rice, Dorothy Garlock, Debbie Macomber and the list goes on. I just love reading a well-done romance.
How do you come up with a story?
I start with something I've experienced. Like with the novel Called Home. While growing up, our family took vacations every year to visit relatives in Wisconsin on a dairy farm. We spent time in the small towns in the area, enjoyed the county fair and the people in that locale. I let the setting roll around in my head for awhile until characters and situations come into the scene, I then choose and refine what I think is a strong beginning for the story. With a skeletal outline, I begin to put pen to paper so to speak. After a solid start, it tends to go in directions that aren't always predetermined. It's kind of like meeting someone for the first time and becoming friends. Your first impression delivered a set idea of that individual, but subsequent interaction with him brings about a more rounded description of him with, possibly, a slightly altered view than the original one.
Do you know the ending when you begin a book?
I'm a romance writer. I want the couple to be together in the end. The whole love conquers all thing. As I stated above, I may have an idea of how I see it in the beginning, but it may or may not play out that way in the end.
Are people in your life characters in your books?
No, is the simple answer. Now to complicate it. I don't fashion a character after a particular person, but everything we do and experience influences every aspect of our lives. So all that has touched me, is a part of me, and therefore, a part of my writing.
Why did you choose the romance genre?
I've always been a sucker for love stories. When I started my affair with reading, that's what grabbed me and pulled me in, so when I took the plunge into writing, that was the obvious place to land. Relationships and their workings have always held a fascination for me. Now I get to create my own.
