My favorite authors are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Saul, J.D. Robb, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Rick Mofino, and too many more to list.

I am often inspired by the things that I am afraid of most--like the death of a parent, a child abduction, drowning in a submerged vehicle. Fear intrigues me, and I've learned that many readers share my fears. Suspense is a common thread in all my novels, and I enjoy making a reader hold his/her breath or glance over their shoulder into the shadows. I am also inspired by the characters to tell their stories. Once I've mulled a plot over in my mind and allowed it to ferment, the characters often urge me on to share their journey.

I am a movie/TV addict. I love crime dramas, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Survivor and The Bachelor/Bachelorette, plus too many other shows to name. Thank God for the invention of the PVR!

I often discover ebooks through various companies I get newsletters from, like Kindle Nation Daily, BookBub, Book Blast and more. And since I'm connected to many authors on Facebook, I am often introduced to a book or new author that way, which is even better because I get to know the author.

The first novel I wrote was titled "Beckoning Wrath." I wrote it when I was 16. Unfortunately, the manuscript was stolen from my school locker when I brought it to show my Language Arts teacher. That was long before MS Word. It had been written using my mother's electric typewriter and I only had the one copy. As you can probably imagine, I was quite devastated. I do have part of a rough draft, but I don't recall the entire story. But who knows? One day, I may just rewrite it!

I allow a plot idea to enter my mind and I think about it for a bit. If the plot expands, I allow it to ferment, meaning that I'll usually have a good idea of the title, main character(s), plot opening, ending and key scenes in between. At that point, I'll open up a Word doc and make some notes. I don't write from an outline. Once I'm ready to write a book, I read the plot notes and begin. I almost always know how the story will open and how it will end. I allow my characters to tell the story through me; they've never let me down. During the writing process, I'll sometimes edit the chapter before, then continue writing. I'll usually edit the work completely before writing the last 1-2 chapters. Once those last chapters are finished, I celebrate!

Having the perfect cover created for one of my books is extremely important to me. I am VERY picky about book covers. My covers must be able to stand up next to any New York Times bestseller cover. One of my pet peeves is the amount of amateurish covers that are being pushed out by authors who don't realize how detrimental that is to their career. If you want readers to think of you as a professional author, you must present yourself as one at all times. I have been very blessed to have awesome cover designers who have been able to display my cover concepts in very artistic ways.

I have a Kobo Touch and a Kindle Paperwhite. The latter is my favorite as I find its operation is smoother and it uploads books quickly.

I have a beautiful home office painted periwinkle blue. On one wall is the saying: Dare to Dream...and Dream BIG!" Two bookshelves line another wall; one holds my books and the other holds titles published by Imajin Books, my publishing company. There are two leather office chairs--one for me and one for my invisible muse. On the wall-length desk is a clutter of paper and post-its in all shades, with pens scattered about the PC...and an empty space for my laptop as I am most often found working while sitting on the recliner in the living room (when my husband isn't home.)

I was born in Vancouver, BC, Canada, but my father was in the military so we moved around every few years. I grew up mainly in Masset, BC, Edmonton, AB, and Bermuda. This has greatly influenced my writing as each of my books takes place in different locations, though some may be common. It is far easier to describe a place you've lived in than to do so from reading a description in a book. My goal is to take readers on a journey to each of the locations, so I endeavor to paint these places, landscapes and scenery. I want readers to feel they are right there--with my characters.