Bio Notes

Author Bio

I was born in New Mexico back in the fifties (she said vaguely), mingling with the aliens and the big bombs.

My family settled in the northwest, where those rainy days led me to read constantly. I grew up with Nancy Drew, Anya Seton, Gene Stratton Porter, Charlotte Bronte, Thomas Hardy, anything to take me Far from the Madding Crowd!

Currently I'm living out my Doris Day fantasies with the husband, dogs, kids, and well, daisies. DaisiesÑit's what's for dinner. Now I just need the 1953 Woody wagon and the big ghastly house to remodel. Instead I'm remodeling the 1975 cracker box house. I'm very good with a hammer. And a garden rake. But I don't cook that well. Then again, neither did Doris Day.

Most of my inspiration comes from old movies, jazz, and real life. Old movies are a goldmine of character exploration. Romantic comedies from the 1930's and 1940's were absolutely amazing in their complexity, simplicity, and subtlety. When you watch a movie like His Girl Friday and listen to the dialogue banter, it's a thing of beauty. Well, it is for me anyway. Just put on Stella Dallas if you want to weep for an hour or The Thin Man series if you want some mystery and comedy mingled! DonÕt even get me started on Alfred Hitchcock, he was a genius with the medium. I've logged enough miles on Turner Classic Movies to build a stairway to Paradise.

My first novel titled RISKY BUSINESS was published by Avon Books in 2002 and no, it's not the one with Tom Cruise in his underwear, it's the one with Tom Riley in his underwear thinking he's the world's best imaginary detective. Film Noir was my muse, and it was a great beginning. Five years and seven novels later, I still love the job. My 2005 novel IN THE MOOD was nominated for the Rita Award in single title contemporary. Sitting next to the likes of Jennifer Crusie & Barbara Freethy, I got my taste of the glamorous life of a romance author!

I have been a writer since I was in third grade. Thank you Mrs. Craigrud, for making me the poet laureate of Wilkes Elementary. Poetry was my passion for a very long time. It never occurred to me to write a full length novel until contemporary romantic comedy and women's fiction caught my attention. The first book took me six years, the second book nine months. Now writing is my day job, along with being a mom and watching The Daily Show– my only news source. Stop the world, I want to get off.

I have a degree in psychology, which is helpful for delving into the motivations of the very large cast of characters running around in my head.

Communication is my big thing. Except when I don't want to. LOL – E-mail me or . . .

Sign up for my newsletter – infrequent but chatty. Hit the link to take you to the Yahoo page. Oh just DO IT!

And now – she blogs.

And – Channeling Erma

I also invented a new word—BLEGGING^©. That's when you beg your friends to comment on your blog.