1. What inspired you to write your first book?
I was reading about the Greek myth love story of Cupid and Psyche when I fell head over heels with the concept for Moonlight and Oranges, a love story with ancient roots, set on the backdrop of modern day Seattle. When I entered the world of Forecast, my second book, I was working with images that I found exciting and inspiring, concocting the scene of a magical key’s burial. I am fairly certain that the opening of the film Jumanji, in which the dangerous board game is cast away into a jungle river, was the impetus that seeded the idea for the opening scene of Forecast.
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2. Writing can be a difficult job, what inspires you to keep going?
Determination and the encouragement of friends. If my mother hadn’t encouraged me so much when I was a wee budding writer, and if I hadn’t had supportive teachers and then a loyal and loving community of fellow writers, I would have dropped my pen a long time ago.
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3. What are you working on now? What’s next?
I am kicking around several short stories to keep my wits sharp, and I have this burgeoning idea for a longer work of science fiction that includes an interactive virtual reality game that is used as a competitive arena for cancer patients seeking a new and powerful cure for their disease.
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4. What’s your writing process, schedule, or routine?
I try to write as early in the morning as possible, when my mind is freshest. I use “flowy” pens (ones with easy ink out-put) and I prefer unlined paper. I set a timer and write until the timer goes off, doing my best not to stop or hesitate—just tear through the words as fast as I can, to keep the blood racing and the ideas fluid.
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5. Who is your favorite book character of all time? Why?
I have so many favorites, but I’m going to go with Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He talks with gut-wrenching honesty about one of the most painful stages in life I can think of—high school—and he does it with courage and compassion. I love his tender openness about his depression, and his loyalty to his friends, never mind their faults. Charlie is a darling and a hero and I really really love him.
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6. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Finish what you start and share your work with a critique group. Stories that are never completed will knock around in your head and make it feel like a cluttered attic. Even if the story is bad, finish it. It will teach you something about the next story. Your commitment to finishing your projects will prevent you from starting weak stories in the future.
A critique group gives you a supportive community (note my answer to #2), a forum for which to prepare your work, and a stone against which you sharpen your skills. A critique group is not optional, in my opinion. They will take much more time than writing the story in isolation, but they are invaluable.
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7. What’s your favorite quote?
“What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. ” ~ Eleanor Powell
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8. Who would you most like to have a cup of coffee with? (Dead or alive)
I’d love to have a long chat with Dorothy Sayers and discuss fiction, women, theology. She’s pondered these things deeply and lectured on so many subjects, I think she’d be fascinating, fun, and thought provoking.
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9. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Pedestrians who cross a street without looking and thus walk straight into the incoming path of cars. It scares me, as a driver!
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10. Tell us something quirky about you.
When I was a teenager, I collected the tags off of tea bags (you know, those little colorful squares that have the name of the tea on them), laminated them, and wore them around my neck. It was kind of like stamp collecting, only with a jewelry component.
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11. Favorite comfort food?
Spaghetti. When I was 2 years old, I smeared it all over my hair. That’s how much I love it.
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12. Star Wars or Star Trek?
Star Trek. It’s the complex, interpersonal nature the characters that draw me into it. Relationships have always had a strong pull for me.
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13. Sunrises or Sunsets?
Sunsets. I relish beauty and brilliance at the end of a long day. That’s what a sunrise is—the permission to pause and relax and enjoy Creation’s vivid brushstrokes.
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