A. A soccer mom with a dark gift.

A. A true life, wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing experience inspired In Silence. Someone I thought I knew revealed his true character in a terrifying way. The experience undermined my sense of safety and security. It undermined my belief that most people think like I do about right and wrong, good and evil. In Silence was born.

A. Titles are tricky, sometimes they just “happen.” Other times my editor and I toss about dozens, before something works. In Silence was one of the easy ones: unusual, creepy--and fit the story’s theme of secrets and silent judgment perfectly.

A. I don’t use a character building “technique” per se. I work to create full, rounded characters. Ones with flaws and goals and histories. My main characters are always survivors. They’ve all overcome great odds--and must overcome even greater ones during the course of the novel.

A. The Seven was inspired from the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing incident described above as well as my fascination with group dynamics, secret societies, cults and vigilantism.

A. My first book, a romance titled Heaven Sent, was published in 1988. I wrote 13 romances before moving to suspense in 1996.

A. In June, Killer Takes All will be published in hardcover--my 24th novel.

A. These days, yes.

A. I just finished Killer Takes All, which will be published in hardback in June. It’s the story of a former homicide detective Stacy Killian who is pulled back into the life when a friend is brutally murdered. It’s actually a spin-off (my first ever) of last year’s See Jane Die, to be released in paperback in June. When Jane Killian’s husband is arrested for murder, she must find the real killer while being stalked by a psychopath who anticipates her every move.

And finally, I’ve just begun work on Copy Cat. In Copy Cat two female homicide detectives, one an over-the-hill veteran, haunted by a case she never solved; the other a young hotshot, obsessed with a recent murder, join forces to catch a copy cat child killer.

A. I can work almost anywhere: my home office, my deck in the spring or early fall (a favorite), doctor’s office waiting rooms, and my local coffeehouse (another favorite). A laptop computer is a wonderful thing. :)

A. First and foremost, I write to entertain. A fan told me once that reading one of my novels was like taking a vacation. I loved that. On the more serious side, I just recently heard from a reader who told me my books give her strength--because my heroine’s are all survivors and if they can do it, so can she! All my novel have an underlying message of hope. Of good overcoming evil and the power of truth.