Here is a copy of an interview I did on eharlequin.com

1. What are some things you enjoy doing in your free time?

Free time? Sorry, I am unfamiliar with this term. Lol. Actually I have my fair share of free time and have some favorite activities. I like to travel though I don’t get a chance to do much of it. I like to walk, have some favorite paths and am always looking for more (though I mostly walk up the road in one direction or the other). I love research which sometimes includes both of the previous activities. But a day spent in a museum, preferably talking to the curator, is a good day. I also like reading, watching TV, going to movies and baking. The jury is out of whether or not I like gardening. We grow a huge vegetable garden. It tends to be a love-hate relationship but not one I intend to give up. (I love fresh vegetables and prefer my own frozen ones in the winter to purchased ones.)

2. How do you balance real life with writing life?

This question made me laugh. I make New Year’s Resolutions and every year I vow I will achieve balance. Every year I fail in some degree. Mostly I focus intensely on whatever is right before me. If I’m writing, I’m fully engaged to the exclusion of all else. If I’m on an outing, I am engaged in that. If my family is visiting, my mind is on taking care of them. But balance? Haven’t found it.

3. What are some of your favorite books and authors?

Too many to name. I enjoy Linda Lael Miller and Linda Goodnight but those are only two of my favorites. I like Elizabeth Berg and Harlan Coben. My tastes are very eclectic. Give me a good story and I’m hooked.

4. Which of these have had the biggest impact on you and why?

I think the book that has had the greatest impact on me recently is a non-fiction book by Dara Marks, Inside Story, The Power of the Transformational Arc. Not that I have all the principles of this book fixed in my mind but I learned so much from this book. I also had a chance to attend a workshop by the author and she was an excellent presentator.

5. What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an author?

So many stories. So little time. My mind is constantly creating new story ideas until sometimes I order it to cease and desist. Then of course there is the challenge of learning what story structure is and how to apply it to each story. ..a never ending struggle for me.

6. What writing organizations do you belong to, and what value have you gotten from them?

I belong to RWA, the Calgary Chapter of RWA (CARWA), Faith Hope and Love, ACFW-American Christian Fiction Writers. Earlier in my career it was in these groups that I learned what romance was and how to write it. Now I appreciate the support and camaraderie.

7. What is the most difficult part of the writing process for you?

Ideas are easy. Concepts are abundant but figuring out to craft them into a solid story structure is the most difficult part for me. That and doing revisions.

8. What is the most enjoyable part of the writing process for you?

I love coming up with concepts and exploring them. I mostly enjoy the fast first draft. Most of all I like seeing my book in print with a beautiful cover.

9. Are you a plotter or pantser?

A planner maybe? I don’t do a detailed plot before I write but I do need a road map of sorts. One thing I learned through trial and error and mostly failure is that I had to discover the process that works for me and then not let anyone convince me their way was better. That is not to say I can’t learn from others and that I don’t experiment but in the end my way is what works for me.

10. How has writing for Love Inspired impacted you personally?

Working with the editors has pushed me to a deeper level in my writing. I really appreciate that.