That's easy. The Bad Seed. I was ten and it scared the hell out of me. I was amazed at the emotional impact a book could have on the reader. Now I strive to scare my readers. Yes, my next novel is a thriller...

To me, it's important for the cover design to reveal the setting and the mood of the story.

Mystery thrillers. Yes, my next novel is a mystery thriller.

Free downloads. I want readers to enjoy my stories. That's why I write them. And perhaps in return, they'll leave a review and let me know what they think.

It's a bit messy. I'm writing page 224 of a 300 page manuscript. It always gets messy near the end.

I grew up in Northern California and every morning at 4 a.m., my stepfather would get up to compose a symphony piece. I would quietly bring down my homework, but I was really fascinated that he could lose himself in the world of his music and create something profoundly beautiful. I said to myself, one day I want to do that. Now I get up at 4 a.m. and lose myself in my writing. I do it because it feels good.

I started out as a political journalist and then I became a political speech writer. So becoming a fiction writer really wasn't much of a leap.

My fans mean everything to me. I write to entertain them and I want my fans to be honest with me with their feedback. I enjoy having a two-way relationship with readers. I especially like it when they rate my book and tell me the story's strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what they like motivates me to write better stories.

I'm working on a thriller that's based on actual events that have happened recently. That's all I'm saying.

The novel I'm writing.