Guest Post by the Author
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I was an enthusiastic reader from day one. I read my very first Dick and Jane primer to everyone in the house, including two captive kittens, one tucked under each arm. Then I read it backwards. As soon as I figured out that somebody had to create the words I was reading, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up—a “book maker.” I dedicated The Rebound Effect to Dick and Jane “who first ignited my passion for the written word.” I’ve been writing all my life and was first published when I was in college, but I’ve been able to spend more time on it since I retired from my position as fiction librarian for the San Diego Public Library. My stories, from short shorts to novellas, have been published in numerous literary journals. The Rebound Effect is my third published novel and the second with the Wild Rose Press.
What is something unique/quirky about you?
I enjoy washing dishes by hand, but only if somebody reads to me while I do it.
Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to you!
Earlier this year, our old, unused dial-up phone started calling 911. The police came to the door several times, once in the middle of the night, before we figured it out.
What are some of your pet peeves?
The puzzling notion that conjunctions somehow reverse the pronoun rules. Only a two-year-old would say “Me went to the store,” but I constantly hear things like “Me and him went to the store” and “She gave it to he and I.” Like Teresa, the heroine of The Rebound Effect, I also hate distracted driving and movie previews that give away too much of the story.
Where were you born/grew up at?
I was born and raised in San Diego, California, and would never want to live anywhere else. I enjoy visiting other places, but San Diego will always be home.
If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
Reading! And eating chocolate.
Who is your hero and why?
Jaycee Dugard, because she chose to live her life with strength and joy and purpose, helping others instead of dwelling on what was taken from her. I also very much admire former President Jimmy Carter for all the good work he does all over the world.
What kind of world ruler would you be?
A terrible one! Overwhelmed and confused.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I love the three R’s –reading, writing, and research. I also enjoy movies, Scrabble, and travel. I’ve been to three countries and forty-eight states, most recently Hawaii. I like to visit art museums, galleries, and botanical exhibits too—beauty feeds the soul.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Klutzy, independent, honest, and impatient.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I wrote my first story. I lifted the basic plot from a Nancy and Sluggo comic book and wrote “Judy and the Fairies”at the age of six.
Do you have a favorite movie?
I always find it impossible to choose just one favorite of anything, but the one I have watched most often is the 1968 film, No Way to Treat a Lady, with George Segal and Rod Steiger. Love, Actually may eventually overtake it, though.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
I can see my forthcoming novel Guilty Knowledge as a movie, or better yet a TV series. I would cast Boris Kodjoe or Trai Byers as the hero, and his partner is one of my favorite supporting characters. I always enjoy writing dialog for tough, sassy women.
What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
I’m not sure if it counts as a literary pilgrimage, but I went to England to visit the places described in the Poldark novels by Winston Graham. Cornwall is lovely.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
I have two. My sometime writing partner, Huxley, is a stuffed writer mouse from Starbucks. I consider him co-author of the novella “Starbucks” (Eclectica April/May 2015.). He named the characters and insisted that it not be a romance, although he is otherwise partial to bedroom scenes. My muse is a lizard named Sparkle. They can both be seen on my Facebook author page. Sparkle is in the cover image.
Author Bio
