For the Clearwater stories, I imagine a situation for Joe to solve and then come up with one or two more complications. I always try to think of the ways that Mia and the CHIPs guys can make him more real. I then write like a madman until I have the story told. At the edit stage, I supplement the content with anecdotes from my personal expereince and edit, edit, edit and edit again. When I think I have a finished product, I turn the manuscript over to my editors and find out from them that I need to do a lot more work.

I have been blessed to have come across a fantastic cover person. Her name is Rita Toews and like me, she is a Canadian, which means we are both nuts. Early in, she learned that I have no taste in anything artistic. I usually suggest some ideas I have that I believe might make sense for the title of the book. She designs a cover that has nothing to do with what I have suggested and usually comes up with a winner.

I enjoy a number of suspense and mystery writers. Elmore Leonard was always a favorite as was Lawrence Sanders and Robert Parker and Dick Francis. John Grisham, Michael Connelly are regularly good reads. As a former English teacher, I have experienced and taught many of the classic Canadian, English and American writers.

I grew up in Toronto, Ontario. The major influence growing up there was to help me appreciate Florida.

The choice to become an indie writer was made for me in one sense as the literary agent representing me was arrested for fraud.

Smashwords has been the avenue to publishing I would not have found in the conventional publishing tradition. I would have always written, but now I have an audience which has led to many friendships with an incredible group of readers.

The greatest joy of writing is in the act of doing it. When I have written something I feel really good about, there is a great sense of accomplishment.

I have come to enjoy the many readers who have contacted me. I don't think of them as my fans, but as fans of my characters, Joe and Mia.

I have another Clearwater book started called Hustle. I have another book from the Riverview series called The Crazy Little Girl that I might like to return to sometime next year.