Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing since I was a teenager, got my BA in English and MFA in creative writing, and have now published 70 novels in mystery, romance, adventure and healing fiction. Retired college professor, devoted dad to two darling golden retrievers. Came in second on Jeopardy!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Big Race was inspired by my love of armchair travel and reality TV. Writing the book, I got to vicariously experience the thrill of competing on a TV race, and also spend time with two great characters, a geek/jock pairing 25 years later, after careers, raising a child together, and then fading apart.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, there’s usually a golden retriever sprawled behind or under my chair as I’m writing. But that may be more Brody’s habit than mine. I like a good raspberry mocha, and I love to look out at the South Florida sky between sentences.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
A Separate Peace by John Knowles. Oh, how that emotionally affected me as a teen! Then Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac and Jimmy Buffett, because of the way they incorporated their writing into their lifestyles.
What are you working on now?
My next golden retriever mystery (#22) was also inspired by reality TV. My small-town amateur sleuth and his clue-sniffing golden end up on the set of Dog’s Kitchen. where chefs compete to create delicious meals that are completely canine-safe. Rivalry and sabotage ensue.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My audience is primarily on Facebook, so I post funny dog memes and writing updates there. I also have a newsletter with 5,000 subscribers.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Observe, read, and write. Look around you, take notes, become a keen observer of the human condition. Read other authors to see how they do it– structure, pacing, characters, etc. Then put all that together in your own writing.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Writing a novel is like driving at night with your headlights on. You can only see a short way ahead, but you can make the whole trip like that.
What are you reading now?
The Collected Stories of Amanda Cross. Wonderful voice, great characters, clever plots.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to get editorial comments back on Hell’s Kitchen soon. Then I’ll be polishing that for publication.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Happy All The Time by Laurie Colwin. I can read that book over and over again and enjoy it every time.
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