Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in a small town of chicken ranches where the main street had a bank, mini golf, lumber yard, hardware store, and a feed and grain. The town is a bit bigger now, but those are all still there on "The Boulevard".
I tend to write stories that take place in small towns where everyone knows everyone else's business.
When did you first start writing?
I learned to read when I was three and almost stopped when I started school and had to read about Dick and Jane and their stupid dog, Spot. Then I found a big, colorful book at a yard sale. I spent my entire allowance buying it. It took me a month, but I made it through Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea in about a month. I started writing my own little science fiction stories shortly after that. I was 6. My first story that I showed anyone was a short story that came in third place in my Junior High School writing contest.
Read more of this interview.