WHY I WRITE.

Recently, I spoke to a group of readers and was asked, "Why do you write?"

I had to think about it before I answered. I seem to have to write. Stories whiz through my brain and I must put it down on paper.

Another question: "Where do you get your ideas?" 

When I wrote BROKEN PROMISES, I read a newspaper article about an older woman being bilked by her much younger fiance. I asked myself, what if this was a younger woman who had her hopes and dreams shattered by a boyfriend who emptied their joint bank account and absconded with the funds. What if she also lost her job due to downsizing and found herself near becoming homeless? Would she sit back and moan and groan or would she take action to find the thief. How would she go about finding him? Who would help her? I immediately had a story line and couldn't wait to include twists and turns in the plot.

I like to write stories about women who find their strength after being in a unusual situation. MISPLACED tells the story of a young woman who has everything going for her until she walks in on her parents murder. The assassin, a mobster, also shoots her and leaves her for dead. Once she recovers, she is placed in the Witness Protection Program and is constantly looking over her shoulder. Who will save her?

How do you come up with a title?

This is a difficult one. Sometimes I make lists of titles and brainstorm with my critique group. MISPLACED was originally titled Shattered Life. I didn't have problems with BROKEN PROMISES, because that was exactly the essence of the book. THE HIDDEN JOURNAL is a book about my heroine discovering a journal written by the small town's country Doctor that cited all the secrets families kept hid for years. OLIVIA, and VICTORIA, was part of the WOMEN OF REXFORD series. Looking back, I might have added something to their names. DON'T DANCE ON MY HEART, came from a statement in the book.

Do I plot my story in advance?

Somewhat. I have an idea, decide on the location, develop a confrontation, and then let the story tell itself. I'm not always sure on the exact ending, but because I write Romance, I always write a happy or satisfactory ending. 

Where and how do you write?

I have an office with two computers, a TV, and a stereo. I like noise in the background. When I'm in the midst of writing, I turn on Country Music. I keep notes on each chapter so I can revisit if I have a time-line problem.

What is the hardest part of writing a book?

Editing. When I first began to write, I told everything about everyone. I found myself writing 150,00 words, and half of them didn't push the story forward. A dear friend pointed that out to me when he told me I wrote three stories in one book. Since then, I've tried to keep to a few points of view, and center the story around the hero and heroine. It's difficult.

Where can we find your books?

My favorite question. All of my books are listed on amazon.com/books  You can read two chapters of each book and order them on line. All but DON'T DANCE ON MY HEART are available as an ebook.