I was a voracious reader, but I always thought a writer was 'someone else'. So when I went to college and then graduate school I envisioned a long and happy business career. Then one of my clients requested my marketing team meet at his home. That's where I met his wife - Danielle Steel. I didn't know who she was and when I found out she was an author I flippantly said "I could do that!" That was it. A colleague dared me to write a book and I took that dare. I was in my thirties. Talk about the floodgates opening! I sold my first book and writing became my passion. I wrote for major New York publishers for 25 years. Three years ago I went indie. I can barely remember a time when I didn't write and will be forever grateful for the dare.

The decision to become an indie author was the result of a perfect publishing storm. Bookstores were disappearing in my area, digital devices were being embraced by the readers, and I had written a book, BEFORE HER EYES, that my publisher thought pushed too much of a creative boundary and decided not to publish it. Just as I was wondering what to do, I read an article about Smashwords and the rest is history. I published BEFORE HER EYES and it was voted B&P's Readers Choice Best Mystery. Over 8,000 readers voted. I never looked back.

I am still pen pals with the first person who ever wrote me a fan letter - that was 28 years ago. Now, of course, I can talk to fans instantly with email, Twitter and one even made a Facebook fan page for me. That truly made me feel amazing. I answer every message as soon as I get it. I love hearing that people relate to my characters or to a situation I've written about. I am so grateful for the cheerleading. I've even named characters after people who write to me - with their permission of course. I doubt readers know what an impact their notes and good wishes have on me.

I am working on the sixth book in the Witness Series, FORGOTTEN WITNESS. This series features Josie Bates, a beach-rat attorney, her sixteen-year-old ward, Hannah, and her lover Archer. Instead of always focusing on a courtroom drama, I write so that each book moves a character's story forward. There is always lots of action, there is always something huge at stake and there is always a focus on the character's journey. It's exciting to write something that ties up one loose end only to unravel something else.

I love Stephen King because he is fabulous with characterization. I'm a fan of many Grisham books. Love Scott Turow. Rilla Askew (A Fire in Bueulah) was introduced to me by a friend. Some of my favorite Indie authors are David Wiseheart (Devil's Lair), Jody Lebel (Playing Dead), Pete Morin (Diary of a Small Fish), Tim Greaton (The Santa Shop).

I am lucky to have a very close knit family. My husband is a superior court judge, my oldest son is a talent manager in Hollywood, my youngest just finished his Peace Corps service in Albania (guess what inspired EYEWITNESS?) and is also a writer. We all love our work, we love to travel, to have friends over, to see our extended family. I guess I get out of bed each morning to see what's going to happen to any one of us - and to see what's going to happen to the characters I'm writing about on any given day.

I love to go to court and sit in on trials. I sew (just got a new sewing machine for my birthday), play tennis (I'm on a league team), go to the movies (a lot), take road trips with my mom and long trips with my husband. I speak at conferences. I used to teach at the UCLA Writers Program which was very exciting but the drive got to be a bit too long. I go to book clubs. I have been involved with The Young Writers Conference, an organization that brings authors into middle school classrooms to share our love of writing.

I browse. When a description catches my eye I stop and I look at reviews. I download the sample and read that. Sampling has always appealed to me as an author and a reader.

My corporate experience has definitely had an impact on my writing process. I am at my local coffee shop by seven on most mornings and work until two or three in the afternoon. Sometimes i compose, sometimes I edit, sometimes I work out timelines, but I work at writing seven days a week. I always begin with a concept - usually it's a legal concept - and then I imagine what person would be involved in the problem the concept dictates. Once I have the main character worked out, I come up with a title and it's off to the races. I usually write the first draft and then edit the entire manuscript five or six times. The process is really all about trying to create a seamless tale in which the reader can get lost.

I wish a UFO would land in my backyard and I wish I could live overseas for one year.