FAQs

Where do you live?

San Antonio, Texas.  The home of the 2005, 2003, and 1999 (and almost 2006) NBA Championship Spurs, the Riverwalk, the Alamo, wonderful people, great Tex-Mex food, Sea World, Randolph Air Force Base, Brooks AFB, Lackland, Fort Sam Houston, water from an underground aquifer, and history that peeks out from every corner and block.  We also have bugs large enough to ride (or at least name and make pets), weather hot enough to make you long for Maine in winter, and periodic droughts. 

When you're not writing, what do you do?

That's really not often. But when I manage to pull myself away from the computer I sleep. Or read. Always read. I've given up on computer games, however.  There are only SO many hours in a day, and I hate wasting them.

Of the books you've written, which ones are your favorites? 

I'm one of those writers who tend to write regardless of circumstances.  If there's a hurricane, a flood, a death, an illness, I write through the experience.  It's how I cope.  I can point to each one of my books and tell you if I was undergoing some trauma at the time.  The book itself has become a catharsis, and consequently, I feel a special bond to it.  Those books are Tapestry, My Beloved, After the Kiss.  But that's not to say they're my favorites.  I don't have one.  Each book is important because it's a step.  I hope that readers will begin with Tapestry and end with my most current book and see me growing as a writer. 

Why do you write such "dark" books?

The sound you hear is me grinding my teeth.  I tend to write books about people who are flawed.  Maybe it's because I was always the nerd in the corner in school. Perfect heroes and cute little blond heroines give me hives.  But my books always have a happy ending.  Perhaps because I'm an optimist myself.  "Dark" is relative, just as humor is. 

Recently someone on an online site wrote that I'm very good at creating morally ambiguous characters.  I have to respectfully disagree. The term morally ambiguous, to me, denotes a certain wavering in values. My characters always have a deep core of beliefs, but they do not always act in perfect ways.  In other words, they're like real people.  

Why do you always say "Warm fuzzies!" ?

It began during booksignings for my very first book.  My friends urged me to come up with some catchy phrase to use when autographing a book.   Frankly, I couldn't think of a thing.   "All the Best" seemed so blah to me.  And I wanted something that mirrored my personality.  One day, in a conversation with my son, it dawned on me that I used the expression "warm fuzzies" all the time.  Okay, I also use "mucklucks", "herro", and "moose". So, I now incorporate the phrase into my autographs and use it in all my correspondence.

Why don't you ever give any speeches or symposiums?   I notice a lot of authors do so.

I notice the same thing, and I'm in awe of their schedules.  Frankly, being published doesn't make me an expert at anything.  I couldn't begin to give advice or teach anyone how to structure a plot or create characters.  I began writing because I felt compelled to do so and I've been privileged to have had some great editors along the way, people who have taught me with each book.

I am remarkably "unplugged", which means that lately I'm rarely online (other than to answer my email and this web site) and I never attend conventions or seminars.  The only public thing I do is show up at booksignings. (But not often.  In fact, I haven't done one in over three years.)  Frankly, there are just so many hours in a day and I devote most of them to writing. 

How do you feel about bad reviews?

I pay attention to reviews if I notice a common theme.   Frankly, I believe that I have to grow with each book.  But I pay more attention to readers. I know a lot of online sites try to portray themselves as catering to readers, and having no bias whatsoever, but I take everything with a grain of salt.  Which is why, come to think of it, I admire Mrs. Giggles so much.  She really doesn't care whose ox is gored in her reviews.  Behind the occasional vitriol and the ever present humor is some constructive criticism, however.   

Have you ever written anything but novels? 

I won a few awards for poetry when I was younger. No, not nice checks or pretty trophies.  Only many, many copies of very, very literary magazines. In addition, I've written "How To" books under a ghostwriting contract.  One book on pop psychology made it to the bestseller lists, but I can't mention the title or the fact that I actually wrote it.  Sigh.   Plus, I've written instruction manuals for everything from bomb trucks to software.

What are you working on now?

I'm working on a new historical due in a few months, plus I have a few other projects ongoing.  I'm signing a new contract with Avon for another three books, so those will be coming out as well.