Over the course of my roller coaster career, I have discovered that writing is, for me, a biological necessity.  If I haven’t been writing for too long, the effects are rather like dehydration:  I’m cranky, tired, low energy, hungry, eat a lot of chocolate. yeah, okay, the symptoms *are* similar to PMS–which is why I [...]

The only time I paused in my marriage and the word “divorce” came to mind was  after I had sold my first book, but before it was published and I was talking about needing a hobby.  My husband looked at me and said “I thought writing was your hobby.”  I can only imagine the cold, [...]

I have a terrible confession to make.  While I am a professional, published novelist, I am also an illicit reader of how-to manuals about writing.  I read beginning ones (anything. . . For Dummies), I read advanced ones (Between the Lines, by Jessica Page Morrell), I read those specialized for my genre (The Tough Guide to [...]

It can be hard to find balance when your biggest fan(s) are also your biggest critics.  Take my mother. . . (yeah, you know what usually goes in there, don’t you?)  But seriously.  She loves me, she wants me to succeed, and she knows that being a novelist is a crazy, complicated kind of job. [...]