When did you realize you wanted to write novels?
In the back of my mind, since I was a teenager. Once all my children were in school, I fiddled around with it and joined a critique group. I entered the St Martin’s Press First Novel Contest in 2008. One of the judges, Luci Zahray (the Poison Lady), wrote me such an encouraging email that I was determined to continue. I entered that manuscript, Donuts and Doorknobs, in Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest in 2013, and it made it into the quarterfinals.
How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?
I self-published Donuts, now titled Turn Key Condition, in 2014.
Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?
Indie
Where do you write?
My own little room. I’ve rearranged a spare bedroom into an office.
Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?
Silence – except for the occasional meowing of my co-author, Tiny the cat.
How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?
I worked in the office of a nearby high school, and some of that seeped into the setting of the series.
Describe your process for naming your character?
A version of my own name, a version of a friend of mine, and some were based on the physical descriptions so the character would become more memorable/visual for the reader. (Think of Professor Lupin, the werewolf in the Harry Potter series. Lupin being Latin for wolf. I think it resonates subconsciously with most people.)
Real settings or fictional towns?
Taking a cue from T. Jefferson Parker, I keep it real. The series is set in Orange County, California, and you can find some actual places mentioned in my books.
What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Fortunado Rocha (Tuna, the police officer and love interest of the main character) frequently drops Spanish proverbs into the conversations. (At least in the first book.)
What’s your quirkiest quirk?
I constantly keep changing my hair color and cut, making a decent profile picture for social media difficult since I keep waiting for one style to be the “right one.” Until then I use “placeholder” pictures for my social media accounts. I’ve gone through at least three.
If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?
The Last of the Mohicans. The movie was great. Before it was released, I decided to read the book. Holy Cow! I was worried for Daniel Day Lewis. The book was almost unreadable. Kudos to the script writer, though. That book needs a serious up-date. Although, truth to tell, I’m definitely not up to the challenge.
Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?
I wish I’d started writing sooner.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Drivers who leave too much space between their car and the one in front of them, making it impossible for others to enter a left turn lane.
Also, technology.
You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
A cell phone, cell service, and someone to share internet jokes with (my hubby.)
What was the worst job you’ve ever held?
A cashier at Zody’s (a short-lived department store)
Who’s your all-time favorite literary character (any genre)? Why?
It’s a tie, for the same reason. Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice) and Scout (To Kill a Mockingbird.) They both are plucky.
Ocean or mountains?
Mountains
City girl/guy or country girl/guy?
City
What’s on the horizon for you?
I’m trying to figure out the title for my next book in the Conditions Series (Turn Key Condition, Shampoo & Condition, and In Mint Condition. See a pattern?) Some phrase with the word "condition" in it. Any suggestions from your blog readers would be appreciated.
Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?
The draft version is the hardest part for me. I enjoy editing and re-writing. I’ve learned to do a little of everything since I’m self-published. I do my own covers on Canva and format my manuscripts and upload them myself. (Although, marketing is my bête-noire.)
A MeToo Mystery, Book 3
Single mom Maggie Chessman finds what might be a valuable Chinese porcelain bowl. When she takes it to be appraised at the local antique store, In Mint Condition, she finds a dead vendor. To her cop boyfriend’s dismay, this isn’t the first body she’s discovered, including a naked corpse in a model home and her dead sister-in-law at a local salon. But, unknown to him, this one is the corpse of a man who abused her as a child.
If the truth comes out, she might be the prime suspect in his murder. Her best friend and her therapist rally around her, discussing other suspects – the victim had a hand in a variety of crimes and sins.
As Maggie discovers, no adult is in mint condition, life takes its toll on everyone.
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