I usually write in intense blocks of time, like a hundred-thousand-word book in a month. But then I'll put the book away and let it sit for months before I go back and edit and rewrite. So it can take a long time for a book to get from the idea stage to something published.
My short stories are much quicker. I can write, edit, and publish within a couple of weeks.

I have a cover artist who is a dream to work with. I will often suggest images or general ideas, and then she makes my thoughts sing. I like my covers to reflect the work, and I'm a bit of a stickler for finding historically suitable images, or otherwise having them be "right."
For example, with my Mystery of the Missing Heiress story, part of the take takes place in Ramsgate. I wanted a picture of the sea, but for my own sake, not any coast would do. It had to be Ramsgate. For the other mysteries in the series, each will have a scenery image from the exact region where the story takes place, or from somewhere important to the story.

I read a lot of things. I read the classics (some of them are really quite good!) I read historical romance. I read cozy mysteries. I read historical mysteries. I read police procedurals. I used to read a great deal of science fiction and fantasy, but I don't usually go to that genre so much these days. Really, if it's good, I'll ready pretty much anything.

I usually read on the Kindle app on my tablet.

I love doing blog tours. It can be so much fun to stop at different people's blogs and talk about some aspect to my books. I like to write something interesting for each stop, something that will hopefully make a reader stop for a second and think, "Oh, that's fun! I didn't know that before!"
I also love the back-and-forth you get in the comments. I can feel like I'm really getting to know my readers and what they like, and hopefully they feel they know me a bit, and will give my books a try.

Oh, my desk... It's hidden under these stacks of paper somewhere!

For all that I love and embrace technology, I rely a great deal on handwritten paper notes. And those notes tend to pile up. But I know exactly what pile each note is in, and how far down it is. Just please, don't make me tidy up! I'll never find anything then.

I was not born here, but I grew up in Canada. Over the years I have discovered the wonderful richness of Canadian history, and where it fits my stories, I like to include a bit of Canada in my novels. In The Assistant, part of the story takes place in Nova Scotia, and I have a yet-unpublished novel that takes place in Niagara in the immediate aftermath of the War of 1812.

I get to play with my imaginary friends!
I have these ideas running through my head, and there is such a joy in writing them down and making them come to life. I love exploring my characters and seeing what they decide to do; I love wondering 'what if' and then following that trail to its conclusion. And the biggest joy for me is hearing that my stories have made someone smile.

Right now I am writing a series of historical mysteries with Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice and my own character, Alexander Lyons. They are a terrific couple - they work so well together - but they have their personal issues that aren't always as easy to work out as the murders they investigate.
I also have a draft of a novel in which Colonel Fitzwilliam from Pride and Prejudice takes centre stage. That will be my next big project to edit, and I hope to publish it in 2021.

I have a lot of things that keep me busy when I'm not writing. I'm a musician, and I love to get together with friends to play music. I also enjoy creating works of art in the kitchen, and can often be found baking or cooking. And of course, I love to read! There is very little I don't enjoy, so hand me a good book and I'm a happy person.