Where do you get your ideas?

They creep up on me in the middle of the night and say BOO. Seriously, though, getting sufficient sleep is important for any creative occupation, including writing, because that’s when the subconscious mind can roam and explore and dream up new ideas.

When do you write?  What’s your schedule like?

I usually spend about two months “prepping” a book before I start drafting the text, then about four months writing the first draft and another two to three months editing. That adds up to a book every eight months or so. When my kids were younger, I worked on my writing when they were in school. Now that they’re grown and out of the house, I have more available writing time, but family still comes first, so when they’re home and are willing to spend time with me, I’m there.

I tend to handle email and social networks for about an hour in the morning, exercise, then work on my writing for a couple of hours before lunch, then again for a few hours after lunch before doing errands or chores later in the afternoon. Evenings I read, critique, or watch TV or movies with my husband. When I say “work on my writing,” that can be writing a first draft, prepping my next novel, editing, or taking care of promotion business. When I’m drafting, I make sure I have the outline of the next 1-2 scenes in my head before I go to sleep, so my creative unconscious mind can work on them and I tend to write about 20 pages a week.

How would you describe your working environment?

I have an office in the basement of my home. My computer sits in the middle of a large rectangular table filled with papers, notes, to do lists, research materials and such. On the wall in front of me on either side of the window (that faces a window well) are framed certificates I’ve won in various writing contests. These kept me motivated before I got my first book contract. On a side wall, I have a bulletin board on which hang my speaker badges from conferences, more award certificates, a photo of me with Robert Crais, and other motivational items. In the closet behind me is where I keep my dark chocolate stash hidden from my family. :-)

What do you like to read?

I was a voracious reader as a child, especially of mysteries like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, and I still read a wide variety of books. I’m in a Book Club that meets monthly to discuss literary and women’s fiction. Some of my favorite reads from that group were The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant, Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by  Mark Haddon, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I read a lot of mysteries, of course. Some of my favorite authors are Western/outdoor writers who I’ve gotten to know at conferences: C.J Box, Kathy Brandt, Craig Johnston, Dana Stabenow, Christine Goff, and Margaret Coel. I also enjoy light-hearted series by Alexander McCall Smith, Donna Andrews, and Tim Cockey. My all-time favorite mystery writers are William Kent Krueger and Sharyn McCrumb, and I’m collecting all their books. I read romance and science fiction occasionally and have enjoyed Diana Gabaldon, J.D. Robb, Anne McCaffrey and Douglas Adams.

What makes A Real Basket Case different from other mystery books?

The story has a significant romantic subplot, where the protagonist and her husband must work together to repair their marriage, which has been torn asunder by the murder. Also, the protagonist is not that skilled at sleuthing. In fact, she’s almost inept, though she learns along the way. She is an AMATEUR sleuth, after all. One of my critique partners liked to call my protagonist Lucy, after the main character in the I Love Lucy show, because she keeps bumbling into ridiculous situations that she has to work her way out of. I hope this characteristic makes her more fun and human for the reader.

What are the similarities and differences between you and your protagonist, Claire Hanover?

Like Claire, I’m middle-aged, lived in Colorado Springs for many years before moving to Breckenridge, and have two children, though hers are older than mine, with the sexes reversed. Unlike her, however, my marriage is very happy, as evidenced by all the hard work my hubby has put into implementing this website. And Claire is a lot braver than I am, but I’m smarter than her. I had to construct these ridiculous situations to put her in, after all, then gently steer her toward finding a way out.

Also, contrary to what many people think, I don’t have a gift basket business. My business is writing mystery novels like A Real Basket Case. I do create gift baskets for friends and relatives and charity events, and fellow authors and mystery readers expect me to bring gift baskets to silent auctions at mystery conferences. I’m not as good at it as Claire is, though.

What are the similarities and differences between you and your RM Outdoor Adventures series protagonist, Mandy Tanner?

I was a “river rat” in my late twenties in the 1980s, running whitewater rivers back east in an open-boat canoe, so Mandy is similar to my younger self. I was fiercely independent then, like her, and feeling my way around relationships, also like her. I still go whitewater rafting and enjoy being in the outdoors, especially here in the Rocky Mountains.

What made you decide to write such a different series, one that is outdoor-oriented versus craft-oriented?

River rangers, like Mandy, are usually whitewater rafting guides who take additional training to become rangers, and I met quite a few while researching the series. If they discover a dead body in or near the river while on patrol, they become part of the investigative team with the detectives in the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, though the Sheriff’s Office retains primary responsibility for solving the case. Thus the problem I have with an amateur sleuth series of why this person is involved in a murder case is solved easily in this series. I’m a fan of the work of C.J. Box and Dana Stabenow, and my hope is that my new series will marry the wilderness settings and ranger/warden lifestyles of those series with the thrill of running roiling rapids.

I was an avid “river rat” in the 1980s, running whitewater rivers in the eastern US in an open-boat canoe stuffed with flotation bags before I settled down to raise a family. I’m still fascinated with flowing water. My husband knows that if we drive alongside a whitewater river, I’ll be leaning out the car window, reading the water, assessing if it’s deep enough to be run, and if so, what line I would take. I have enjoyed reacquainting myself with the river rat subculture and its updated boating equipment while researching the Mandy Tanner river ranger mystery series. And, of course, I never turn down the chance to take a whitewater rafting trip! I enjoy Colorado’s many outdoor activities, including skiing, hiking, and biking as well as whitewater rafting, so sometimes it’s hard to sit inside and write.

What advice can you give anyone who wants to become a fiction author?

I think that networking with other writers is one of the most important things you can do for your writing career. I present workshops at writing conferences and write articles on how to network and why you must do it. In fact, I have an article in the September, 2008 issue of The Writer magazine on just that. I met my editor and both my first and second literary agents through networking with other writers.

You need to read widely in your chosen genre, to see what kind of writing and stories are being published. Also, being in a critique group helps you improve your writing to the point where it becomes publishable. In my initial critique group of five brand-new fiction writers, three are now published in short stories, three in book-length fiction, and all five have won or placed in writing contests.

Lastly, in this business, persistence is almost more important than talent. With persistence, you can learn the craft, the structure of story and how to bring characters to life, and you’ll hang in there and keep on submitting and revising your manuscripts while the rejections pile up. I’ve seen many talented writers give up on the business too soon. It is very difficult for most of us to get published. You have to give yourself at least five to seven years to get that first book contract and be willing to accumulate hundreds of rejection letters in your career.

If you could invite three people to dinner (living or dead), who would they be and why?

I would choose Jimmy Carter, Mother Teresa, and Jesus Christ. From this list you might think I was a very religious person. I do attend church somewhat regularly, but I’m not an over-the-top evangelist. Instead, what intrigues me about these people is the combination of their peaceful, loving demeanor and their power to cause tremendous change for the better in society, resulting in the foundation of a new religion, a huge relief effort for the poor, and the spread of democracy. Both Jimmy Carter and Mother Teresa are Nobel Peace Prize winners, to me the most important award in the world, and they were both motivated by their strong beliefs in Christianity. I’d love to have the opportunity to discuss faith and God with Jesus, his son, and to observe what Jimmy Carter and Mother Teresa would ask him.