Humor, mystery, suspense, intrigue, drama, romance. I read for pleasure every chance I get.

Daphne Arden, the main character in Everybody Talks, is the uber-cool owner of SPArkles salon, and although she hates being talked about, there is no staying out of the spotlight when a serial killers dumping grounds are discovered behind her house. When the handsome detective, David Mitchell, won't take no for an answer tongues wag a mile a minute. When Ian Matthew's girlfriend, Kitty James, stirs the pot further, the killer will try to silence both girls permanently.

I like my iPad. I have a Kindle too, but the screen is small and my eyes are poor. I like the larger screen, and I like it backlit.. I work in the technology field, so I try to reduce my number of devices, but I also have a Kobo, and recently purchased an iPhone 6. As long as I can see what is on the screen well, I'll read on any device.

I design my own covers. I feel I can do this myself as I design maps for a living and have a good grasp of design concepts and the legalities of licensing images, etc. My stories are romantic, but centered around a mystery. So I can't just purchase a naughty image (which would certainly grab attention) use it. It would not accurately represent my story. It needs to be romantic while creating a sense of mystery in order t appeal to a mostly female audience.

Usually I write something down. Then I re-write it. Rinse and repeat about a hundred times. Then I have a first draft. That's about the time I decide to change the point of view, main character, or something else that makes me start all over. I've found that the tenth time you write something, it goes much faster. Eventually, I send a word document to my closest friends and beta readers, who then show me all the errors of my ways. Then I re-write a lot of the story. Rinse and repeat. I eventually get to the point where I put it down and don't look at it for a while. Then I read it fresh like I've never seen it before. That's when the real editing begins. Finally, I hold my breath, accept that it isn't going to be perfect, and decide to let it be done.

I work as a digital mapping consultant in the Triangle region of North Carolina.

No. I've written all my life, and I started early. I do remember one of the first things I wrote for fun my first year in college. I tried to write a one-act play titled "The Blueberry Baking Contest of ___ County". I never finished it. I was easily distracted.

A modified sofa table. I have a VERY small house, and I am also very petite. I needed a custom solution to reduce arm, and neck strain. So to make my work environment more ergonomic, I had the table height modified, the center drawer removed and an adjustable keyboard tilt tray installed. Then I splurged and bought a dual monitor arm so my laptop and second monitor can be adjusted to my eyes just right. It's worked out well.

I grew up mostly in Alabama. I moved around a lot, and spent a few of my tween years in Florida. I also studied communications at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Southern culture is very nuanced. I grew up trying to understand the complexity of this culture. The different variations of accent, the social class distinctions, and feel that I represent that culture in my writing without relying on stereotypes.

In grade school.

I've always had these stories in my head. It's such a relief to get them out.