I grew up in the West End of Louisville, Kentucky. For those from elsewhere: The West End was the "tough" part of town. I wasn't tough, though; I was invisible. You see a lot when you're invisible, and you hear a lot. You think about things a lot. You think about what you would do if had the nerve or the muscle. Pretty useful, for a future writer.

It's a toss-up between writing something I'm proud of and writing something somebody else loves.

EVERYTHING! As I say, it's wonderful to write something that I enjoy reading, but it's really somewhat pointless if nobody else enjoys it, too.

I get a general idea, come up with a handle to grab it by, write a little, do a general outline, and get to work. Once I have a rough draft, I shape the story, polish it, let it rest, reshape and polish it, and take it to my critique group. I might do another rewrite or two and certainly another polish before I submit it.

Oh, dear! Big and messy!

Reading, cooking, knitting, talking.

I read just about anything. I love to cook almost as much as I love to eat. I just learned to knit in the winter of 2013; although I can't knit anything except scarves, I enjoy doing that. And talking? Yakkity yakkity yak!

Just about everything, from tech manuals to comedy.

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome
Possibly my favorite book altogether. It charms me. It's laugh-out-loud funny, lyrically beautiful, historically and geographically interesting, and sweetly nostalgic. It's my go-to book when I want to fend off the blues.

Titus Groan and Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
Books 1 and 2 of the trilogy make one long story. So wonderfully, massively, gorgeously strange! If they're allegories, I don't want to know. I just want to trip out on them. Fantastic in the best senses of the word.

Journey To the West volume 1
Because The Stone Monkey is so much fun!

My Zombie Dog by Charmaine Clancy
The only zombie book I ever read or ever want to read. It's a hoot!