I spent a fair amount of time and effort submitting my first two novels to literary agents. I put a lot of weight into the notion that if I was accepted by the literary establishment I would be considered a "real-writer." Fortunately, I was reminded that the very act of writing makes me a writer, not the approval of a middle-man.

I decided that I would put my stories out to the world and define that as my success. Ultimately the stories I write aren't about my own ego or need for success; they are about my characters and telling their stories with honesty. As an indie author, I have the freedom to tell these stories and that freedom is very rewarding.

I am always working from a laptop, so my desk is sometimes a couch, a pool-side lounger, a plane, or a patio.

I am an avid supporter of making use of local libraries. Being on Smashwords has allowed me to offer Nailbiters to local libraries. I typically only read books through the library. I am very happy to have my work in the catalog and available to readers at no cost.

I knew that I wanted my cover to look professional and polished. In addition, I wanted it to have the look of a classic in the making. Fortunately, one of my classmates from high school is a fabulous designer. When it came time to release Nailbiters to the world, it just felt right to ask this friend to do the cover. The final product was even more amazing than anything I could have ever thought of or created on my own. You can see more designs from Nora Gecan at: http://noragecan.com/design-portfolio/

I have been working on leveraging my social network to help promote Nailbiters. I have friends that have successful blogs and have asked them to reference the book. I also have a friend who does very intricate nail art designs. She read the book and posted three custom designs to her followers, which helped to expose the novel to a totally new audience. Use #NailbitersNovel to see these designs on Instagram.

Goodreads. I only started using the service 6 months ago, but I really love it. I also have some good friends that I correspond with that are avid readers. They are a great source of recommendations.

I have nothing but pure gratitude to those who have taken the time to purchase, read, and then review Nailbiters. It has been so amazing that people have gone out of their way and used their precious free time to support the book. I hope that each person knows how much I value that free time. This drives me to work harder to produce quality stories. I want those who spend time with the characters I write to feel that they are truly connecting with their story.

Stephen King
Ian McEwan
J.K. Rowling
Margaret Atwood

I am open to most genres when I read. I try to keep a mix of mystery and contemporary novels on my to-read list. My husband does a great job recommending excellent non-fiction books to add variety to my reading list

I am working on a collection of short stories that will be released in 2016. Stay tuned!