Favorite Books: Are you kidding? Too many to list! And YES, I love my electronic reader. Goes with me everywhere!

Favorite Fictional Characters: Spenser (Boston PI created by Robert B. Parker), Liz Salandar (tech whiz created by Stieg Larsson), Scarlett O’Hara (Southern belle created by Margaret Mitchell)

Favorite Movie: BLADE RUNNER (Director’s Cut) with Harrison Ford

What’s on my i-pod: A wide variety of music, everything from classic and modern country to pop, to rock, to oldies, to classical. Love Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown…and so-o-o many others. Sometimes I write a book with a special song playing in the background to inspire me and my characters.

Favorite Activity: Shopping!! (did you doubt it?) 2nd

Favorite Activity: Travel…been to Morocco, Tunisia, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, the Caribbean, Canada, Greece, Uganda, Australia, and time permitting, the rest of the world.

Favorite Color (s): all things purple and turquoise, especially with sparkles.

Favorite Foods: Everything pasta. And ice cream for dessert—the perfect food. Vanilla with a drizzle of butterscotch, thank you!

Favorite Book written by ME: Whatever book I’m working on at the moment…

Favorite words from fans: “I never liked to read until I read your books. Now I love to read.”

Favorite Award: having my book SIX MONTHS TO LIVE placed into a time capsule at the Library of Congress not to be opened for 100 years—-2089! (hope someone remembers to open it).

My Wish for the Time Capsule Opening: cures for all childhood cancers.

Wish I could…Play guitar and/or piano.

Wish I wasn’t…such a couch potato.

I collect: Glass objects…big, small, always pretty. I have an “aquarium” made up of one-of-a-kind glass fish “swimming” on lighted glass shelves. In my eyes, no object of art is as captivating as light shining through blown glass.

Many readers have asked what music I listen to when writing. In truth, I must have absolute silence while I write, but I listen to music every other available minute—in my car, when I cook, eat, dress….I LOVE music. And when I hear a song that sticks in my mind and heart, it very often leads to helping me shape characters and their fictional memories. Every book is different, so the range of music from book to book is eclectic and inspiring. For my books, THE YEAR OF LUMINOUS LOVE and THE YEAR OF CHASING DREAMS, these are the songs that touched and motivated me, and helped me spin words into characters. Perhaps you will enjoy listening to them too!