When did you start writing?

I’ve been writing and daydreaming stories since I was a child. I started stopped a number of works throughout the years and have recently been able to dedicate time to my writing again.

What would you tell someone who wants to be a writer?

Write! Write! Write! The only way to become a writer is to write. Period. You cannot hone your craft or your voice without writing. Experiment, write different types of stories, challenge yourself. And, identify yourself as a writer. Follow the golden rule an author (Lisa Childs) once gave me, practice the ABC‘s, Apply Butt to Chair.

How long does book self publishing take?

It depends on the platform you decide on.  If you truly do it all yourself then some of the time spent goes into formatting your document either for publication or ebook.  Once you decide what route you want to take and what platform.  It can take anywhere from 12 hours to 72 hours for an ebook to populate a site and depending on the company you use for publication, anywhere from 24 hours to 7 days before you can see a finished product.

What kind of environment is most conducive for getting your creative juices flowing?

I always need some background noise.  I tend to write best in the midst of chaos.  I can focus when its quiet but the chaos creates its own voice in my writing.

What do you do when you get writer’s block?

Read, read, read….other people’s stuff, my own stuff, anything to free up the blockage.  Plus sometimes I have to place a call to my muse who decided to go on a shopping spree instead of staying by my side…

Why this genre of writing?

I’ve worked law enforcement and corrections, in the domestic violence field and as a victim advocate.  It calls to me and feels natural to me.  The language, the terminology, the mindset, its who I am.

Have you ever considered writing something outside the crime-thriller genre?

Definitely, I have some fantasy/young adult stuff I’m working on right now.  My hero’s name is Ariana Castillo, she’s fifteen.

How long did it take you to complete Beauty of Fear?

I wrote the first words for that story in 2000 and then put it away.  I started another and then another and put them away.  I was conflicted with which story to pursue and a writer named Lisa Childs told me to practice my A,B,C’s (Apply Butt to Chair)  Took me awhile but I finally did. I officially completed it on December 6, 2012, my daughter’s birthday.