Q: In one sentence, tell me something that describes you as a person?
A: Dedicated professional woman with a sense of humor, great imagination and a passion for transplantation.
Q: How many books have you written? How many of those are published?
A: I’ve written two books and both were published.
Q: Do you have an upcoming release? If yes, tell me the title and impending release date.
A: My first debut novel CUT was just released April 11, 2017
Q: Tell me about how you come up with your titles for your stories. Do you create the title before or after you write the book, and does it ever change from the initial title?
A: This title came up as a result of a writing workshop I took over three years ago – the title came first and it never changed.
Q: Out of all your characters in all of your books, who/what (sometimes a setting can also be an important “character”) do you think is the most interesting and why?
A: Jackie Larsen hands down. I didn’t plan it that way but Jackie took over with her big funny personality. She is the other main character, Sarah Golden’s best friend, but is married and stuck in the suburbs taking care of her son while her wife is a big wig a the medical examiners office in San Francisco. Jackie hates the soccer moms, has a great sense of humor and loves her rum. She and Sarah are life-long friends and take annual holidays together to blow off steam and can tend to get into some trouble with the local authorities on occasion. Jackie is an amalgamation of so many of my own close girlfriends, so it was really fun to write her character. She’s sassy, fun, and loyal, everything I love in a friend.
Q: If you could “create” your own genre of what you write, what would you call your books?
A: Transplant Mystery’s with a side of humor.
Q: Without quoting your back cover synopsis, tell me about the last book you published.
A: My book asks the questions “Can you buy your way up to the top of a liver transplant waiting list?” I weave a fictional story with facts from the complicated world of transplantation where I worked for over 35 years. The two main characters are nurses who have been best friends from nursing school. They trust each other implicitly and also have some wild and funny adventures.
Q: Tell me something about yourself that is separate from writing.
A: I’m from a family of six siblings born and raised in the Chicago area. I have been a nurse since 1974. I also teach Chair Yoga and was certified at the Chopra Center in Carlsbad California. I have been married over 30 years and have two grown children. I love to travel and was a pretty good disco dancer in my day. I love stand-up comedy & improv and studied for a year at Second City in Chicago. I think laughing is the best medicine.
Q: Who is your favorite Author?
A: Janet Evanovich
Q: What is the last book that you read? (Not counting anything you wrote)
A: Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
Q: When writing, do you have a system or something you plan, or do you just write?
A: I start with scaffolding the book deciding whose point of view each chapter will be in and then what will happen in each chapter. Then I go and write the entire book with out editing or rewriting. Then I go back and edit and rewrite until I think it’s ready.
Q: Why do you write?
A: I have a very active imagination. I also find it cathartic when I really don’t like someone in real life I can kill them in my murder mystery and use their organs.
Q: Do you read your own work a lot? If so, what does it do for you?
A: I read my work to make sure that it is accurate and as well written as possible. I don’t read it any more than to achieve those goals.
Q: What is your favorite type of music? Is there one genre (or song, band etc...) that brings out your creativeness more than others?
A: I listen to sounds of nature when I write as it’s very soothing and there are no words to distract me.
Q: As an author, I find that the hardest thing to write (for me) is the synopsis that will be on the back cover or book’s description. When you write, what is the hardest line to write, the first line, the last line or the synopsis for the book?
A: I’d say it’s the synopsis. Trying to distill down an entire book into a few sentences that will accurately reflect the books content and also intrigue the reader enough to want them to read it.
Q: Any final thoughts that you want to give to your fans or even future authors?
A: Surround yourself with friends and family who believe in you as a writer. Take writing classes at your local community college and form a small group to support your writing. I’ve been part of a writing group for almost 15 years and it has been an anchor for me in times of self-doubt and in times to celebrate writing accomplishments. Spend time in your local independent bookstores and library’s.