Probably my favorite contemporary romance author is Victoria Dahl, but I also love Rachael Herron's books! For historical romance, I love Julia Quinn and Tessa Dare, and for paranormal - I drop everything for a JR Ward or Karen Marie Moning book. As for Diana Gabaldon, I'm one of her legions of fans, too.

1) Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. I love the WW2 setting; I studied that era a lot in college, and I'm always drawn to books set in that time period. But more importantly, this book is hands-down one of the funniest I have ever read. You know that intelligent, ironic, dry humor that the Brits are so well-known for? This has it in spades.
2) Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. This book has such a huge and rabid fan base for a reason. Her writing is flawless, the setting and time period is fascinating, her characters are compelling, and the romance is off the charts.
3) Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. It's worth the effort. You get sucked right into all the family drama, and that tragic romance so characteristic of the Russians.
4) The Bronze Horseman, by Paullina Simons. Another WW2 book, another Russian perspective. The scope of the narrative, and the amazing, star-crossed characters blow me away.
5) How to Knit a Love Song, by Rachael Herron. This contemporary romance is a real gem - well-crafted and likable in every way. Plus, I'll always think of it as the impetus for me realizing that the books I was writing were romances, and that people might actually enjoy reading them.

I read a lot for pleasure, mostly romances. I tend to go for the smart contemporaries of people like Victoria Dahl, Lauren Blakely, Cristin Harber, and Rachel Herron. I love writers who can write intelligent, witty, steamy, true-to-life tales that still deliver all the feels.
I also love a good historical romance, like those of Elizabeth Hoyt or Jennifer Ashley. Just something about those corsets and carriages, I guess!

I've always used a Kindle Fire. I thought I was a confirmed 'real book' kind of person, until my family gave me that first Fire as a gift one year. I thought I would hate it. I don't - I love it. Probably more than I should admit.

The couch in my living room. Plug in the laptop, fend off the cats, and I'm off to the races.

I've lived all over: born in New York, then elementary school in Connecticut. Middle school was spent shuttling between California and Florida. I went to college in Boston, and then moved to Maryland, where I live currently.
I have been lucky enough to drive coast-to-coast twice, and also to visit places like Texas, the Carolinas, Ohio, Saint Lucia, and Greece.
All those settings, and all those different kinds of people, are about the best preparation for a writer that I can imagine! The amount of background material and inspiration is endless.

The minute I could wield a pencil. My mother was an elementary school teacher, and I remember sitting in the kitchen with her while she taught me how to write my letters.

I think she was also the person who once put a stack of writing prompt worksheets in front of me to keep me busy. They had a drawing at the top, plus half of the first sentence filled in. I tore through those as fast as I could, and then, when I ran out, began making my own. I wrote, and wrote, and kept writing, because there never seemed to be enough books and stories to read. Consequently, one of my persistent childhood memories is of NEVER having enough blank paper around.

Finding Love, book 2 in my Second Chances series, just went on sale in April (2017). Several of the side characters from that book were pretty memorable, and I ended up writing a novella starring two of them in particular (Look for Lost in Love around July 2017). Then, my editor and primary beta reader asked (very nicely), if yet a third character might get his happily ever after, too...so *that* ended up happening, and will likely be included at the end of the novella. From there, I found myself writing a short Christmas story involving all of the characters from book one through book 2.5, which I will eventually be offering for free to my newsletter subscribers. What can I say? I really, really liked that family.
Right now? I'm starting work on book 3 in the series. Set in beautiful coastal North Carolina, a place we have visited every summer for the last fifteen years, it stars a woman who had a big role in book two. I'm really enjoying digging into what makes her tick!

Time, hurdles, and middlemen.
In addition to being a writer, I'm also a wife, and a mother to two middle schoolers - so there are only so many hours in a day to devote to each role. The process of searching out a reputable agent, then sending out who-knows how many queries, and then giving up control, copyright and income to both agent and publishers... none of that seemed like the best or most efficient use of my time, when all I wanted to do was WRITE.
Of course, becoming an indie author is essentially starting your own business and taking on all those roles yourself, and there is a steep learning curve involved. But I get to do things at my own pace, and in my own way, and that is worth every hurdle to me. Plus, with the (mostly free) tools available to every indie author, there really is no compelling reason not to give it a try.

My greatest joy would be seeing all the stories I have swimming around in my head reach fruition in a concrete way - amorphous characters becoming fully realized, hazy plots becoming clear and developed... and then, the most wonderful thing of all: when readers grin and tell me, "I loved it and I couldn't put it down!"
I mean, by the time you've written and polished and edited 300-plus pages of a novel, you personally love the story and the characters. You kind of have to. But to hear that you did your job in a way that makes other random strangers love them, too? It's the best feeling in the world.

I'm currently working on book three in my Second Chances series, which I am enjoying immensely and hope to release before the end of the year (2017). Early next year, I will be working on book four, and possibly one last novella to round out the series.
My mind has, of course, skipped ahead to plan out what comes next. I'll be introducing a new trilogy sometime next year, starring three men who are already starting to make my heart pound! I hope you enjoy them!

When I'm not writing, I am pretty busy being a wife, and a mom to my two teens. I spend a fair amount of time on youth sports sidelines. But when there is time, I do like to cook and try out new recipes on both family and friends.

But I also love crafting of all kinds. I enjoy knitting and crochet, and some embroidery. I love projects I can make with paper and my Cricut, like holiday decorations and greeting cards. And I love trying out new things I find on Pinterest! Some recent projects have included making wall shelves made from an old pallet, building an end table made with plumping pipe, and homemade candles scented with coffee and vanilla.

Armed with my drill and my glue gun, I'm pretty much locked and loaded for anything.