What genre do you write and why?
My first two books “Lust. Mechanics. Mini Cooper.” and “Sex.
Coffee. Time Travel.” exploit a mix of several genres; suspense, historical, romance,
contemporary, time travel, with a dash of "entertainment insider." I
want to write books I would enjoy reading. I know I'm not writing great
literature. I want my readers to have a good time. My beta-readers enjoyed them
even though they are tough to categorize. They said I made the unbelievable,
believable. Or as the main character (Lesley Meryn, a writer of adventure
suspense novels featuring Saber and Steele) says "I make them want
to believe." I worked for a television production company for several
years, and I have based a lot of what happens to actor-character Jason Hambrey
on real-life situations.
My most recent book, The Fabergé Entanglement, is a spy-fy-suspense-adventure,
with two characters deeply attracted to each other (so a dash of romance,
well…maybe more than a dash.) This novel is more easily definable, and I’ve
kept to the conventions of the genre, but on my terms. Still, it's a bit
off-kilter.
Who are your favourite authors?
I greatly admire the work of Adam Hall.
His work is a great inspiration for me. When I was younger I enjoyed Robert
Heinlein when I was going through my adolescent Science Fiction phase. Lately,
in that genre I read Robert Charles Wilson, Octavia Butler, Sara King and Hannu
Rajaniemi. I enjoy Tim Powers, and Taylor Stevens’ Vanessa Michael Munroe
series. I savor Nordic Noir. The last book I read that blew me away was
“Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts.
Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
I love both Saber and Steele. Asking to choose
one is like asking me to choose my favorite child. They are both more complex
than they first appear. Both have had a hard time in life. Both are struggling,
albeit in different ways with identity, intimacy, and loss.
Why do you think readers are going to enjoy your book?
It’s a fun book. Who doesn’t want an
escape for a few hours or so? If you want to take it in layers, you can do
that. It’s very densely written in that sense. There are some serious themes in
the book, concerning both Saber and Steele. Saber has issues she has not
acknowledged in her life. Steele is deeply conflicted about his work. He lies
for a living. His betrayal of trust is more than second nature, for him it’s a
matter of survival. And he kills people.
Who designed the cover?
Damonza, a studio in South Africa,
designed the cover for The Fabergé Entanglement.
I have actually been to all of the
locations mentioned in my books, and this informs the descriptions with an
authenticity that informs the rest of the book. I research nearly constantly,
drawing ideas and plot points from technology. The SonicStar is real. It’s just
not been rolled out yet. I also use resources that decline to be named in the
Acknowledgements.
What is your work in progress? Tell us about it.
I am very fond of my characters, Saber
and Steele and want to write more about them and their unique chemistry. They
are very different people; yet compliment each other so well. Right now, in
progress, I have them appearing in Havana, Cuba, Tangiers, Morocco and Japan.
The story concerns a very new, cutting edge, military technology that is very
real and very dangerous. I have access to documents that are not classified but
they are not widely available to the public.
Who or what inspired you to become a writer?
I learned to read at a very early age. I
consumed books shelf by shelf at my school library. I started to write my own
stories to amuse myself. In college I worked on short stories and took every
writing course I could find. I discovered the satisfaction there is in writing,
and the power in self-expression. Once I unshackled myself from the idea that
what I wrote had to be literature, I was off! I was even able to write a couple
of papers as fictional stories. My professors weren’t sure they should accept this
form, but they were happily entertained by the results. For a while I wrote
spec (speculation) scripts (I lived in LA, that’s what people do there!) Then, I thought I’d try long form. I haven’t
looked back. I love the room long form gives me to build characters and
situations and emotions.
What are you currently reading?
“The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” I’m
enjoying it immensely. I’m re-reading it so I can read John le Carré’s latest. That man is incredible, still
writing in his 80s. I’m so impressed with his writing.
When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
I read. A lot. I work on language study.
I’m usually planning a trip somewhere for a new adventure of my own. I just
returned from Japan hiking parts of the Nakasendo Trail, from Kyoto to Tokyo. I
love Japan! A friend wants to take a trip in a few months and so far it sounds
like we’re heading to Peru.
GIVEAWAY
