Q: Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.

I am a partially disabled writer, with some walking issues that have worsened over the last twenty years. As discouraging as this is, the good news is that it keeps me in my office chair, writing, so I’m free of most distractions. Widowed—lost my wife to pancreatic cancer 8 years ago. I also work too much, but most people know that!

Q: What’s your favorite scene in your latest book and what makes it a favorite?

An easy one! The night scene on a lakeside dock with Stella (the Firefly) dancing around a lantern. Robin, the narrator, sees Stella and the two meet, kiss, and…well…

Would you care to share an excerpt from the scene with us?

“To [Robin’s] amazement, the lantern was lit on the dock. Standing by it was the Firefly, dressed in white, her blond hair bright against the darkness of the water and the forested hill beyond.

Robin rubbed her eyes. She must be having drunken hallucinations, but when she looked again, the beautiful vision remained. Excitement shot through her, and she lurched to her feet, using the railing for balance. Grasping the bottle, Robin descended the stairs and walked down the grassy hill to the path, afraid to blink and lose sight of the enchanting image that lay before her. As she stepped onto the dock, the Firefly circled the lantern and offered her hands in invitation, her long fingers sweeping through the air with elegant fluidity. It appeared the girl was smiling, but perhaps this was what Robin hoped.

She made her way carefully. Some of the boards were uneven, and she didn’t trust her steadiness after drinking so much. Her ears also seemed filled with a pulsing sound, or was that the loud beating of her heart? Nearing the girl, Robin knew the figure was Stella because of the strong resemblance to Kieran—the same yellow hair, slender build, neat features, and gracefulness. But Stella was more magnetic, more enchanting. Instantly, the dinner with Kieran was forgotten, as if it had occurred a year ago and an impenetrable curtain had fallen over all memories, recent and past. This moment was all present, all now.”

Q: If you could spend some real-life time with one of the characters in the book, who would you choose and why?

The primary narrator, Robin, when she was young. I would help her deal with her parents’ conflicts and encourage her belief that she could be a great architect.

Q: On the flipside, which character would you probably least get along with? Why?

Simon. He becomes involved with Robin and is a self-centered chauvinist who doesn’t understand Robin, nor is he interested in doing so.

Q: Let’s take off your author cap and put on your reader cap for a moment: what do you look for in a book, what sort of protagonists do you love, and do you have a favorite genre?

I read many mystery/suspense books, especially those written by UK and Nordic authors. Love a twisty puzzle like those created my Mari Hannah or sly, wry plots such as those devised by Kate Atkinson. I enjoy intrepid female protagonists so long as they don’t commit foolish actions or need constant rescuing by a male. I also enjoy literary fiction and occasionally poetry and biography.

Q: What books and authors would you say influenced you to become a writer?

Patricia Highsmith was an early influence for my first novel, Jenny Kidd, a psychological suspense. Highsmith loved sociopaths and spinning webs to entrap innocent characters. Doublecrossed and A Bittersweet Tale follow this genre. A very different influence is Virginia Woolf, who inspired Wave in D Minor. The novel is about a composer writing an opera featuring the relationship between Woolf and Vita Sackville-West—had a great time creating some short lyrics in the style of both women. My forthcoming work of magical realism, The Black Leopard’s Kiss & The Writer Remembers (Dec. 16), has a Mrs. Dalloway-style opening and then rockets into action.

Q: What are your least and most favorite things about being an author?

Promoting my books. Ugh. So many writers are introverts, and I am one of them. Doing outreach to reviewers, bloggers, podcasters, etc. and asking for their assistance is torture. Yet this has become a major part of an author’s duty. The second thing is dealing with formatting issues. As a longtime book designer for university presses, I’ve watched the serious decline of typographic and design sophistication, particularly by small publishers who use print-on-demand production. The best thing? Finally becoming a writer, the dream of my childhood self.

Q: What’s the best piece of writing/author advice you’ve ever received that you’d pass on to someone just getting started in the business?

Revise and polish a work at least 25 times. Search for repetitive words, trite phrases, typos, comma errors, modifier goofs, plot snags. And keep The Chicago Manual of Style within reach. Find tough beta readers who will point out your tics and mistakes. It’s amazing how blind a writer can be. Trust me. I know. And, yes, read widely in your genre.

Q: Have you ever written a line, paragraph, or passage, and thought, “Darn, that’s pretty amazing, even if I do say so myself”? What was it?

“Death is in the house.” (Wave in D Minor: the first line of the prologue)

“Marnie Hardwick and I met in the dark heart of February.” (Doublecrossed, first line)

Q: What’s the one genre/sub-genre you haven’t written yet, but would love to? What’s kept you from it so far?

I’ve written in most genres that I like: literary, psychological suspense, comedy, and romance/coming-of-age. If an idea comes to me, a return to comedy might be fun. And depending on how my two literary novellas do (The Black Leopard’s Kiss & The Writer Remembers), I might tackle another project using magical realism. I’ve edged into horror in a few stories, but horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and standard romances aren’t likely areas of exploration.

Q: Let’s talk tropes: do you have a few favorites that you enjoy both writing and reading? If so, what are they and what makes them your favorites?

To be honest, I never consider tropes and feel resistant to falling into one while creating fiction, though no doubt some of my plots could be classified as fitting a trope. Promoting a book as having a HEA (happy-ever-after ending), for example, gives me a light case of nausea, even if The Firefly is in this category. Tropes feel formulaic and the antithesis of what an author should be trying to achieve.

Q: If you could choose one of your books to be adapted for the silver screen, which would you choose? Why do you think it would translate well to film?

Good question. Don’t all authors fantasize about their novels becoming films? Jenny Kidd, with its lush setting in Venice, might be an excellent candidate, as would The Ungodly Hour, located on Mykonos. A Bittersweet Tale bears a dark thematic resemblance to The Bridges of Madison County. The narrator, Jango Jacks, reminds me of Nick Nolte, though Bill Pullman would now be perfect casting.

Q: What’s the one book you’ve read in your lifetime that you wish you’d written? Why did this particular book leave such a lasting impact on you?

Michael Cunningham’s The Hours was very impressive. I’d be proud to have written any of Kate Atkinson’s sly, clever novels.

Q: If I were to interview your main characters, what would they say about you?

Robin (The Firefly) would immediately sympathize with my singular focus on my writing…she was similarly focused on her architectural pursuits. Leslie (Wave in D Minor), an opera composer, would understand the struggle between honoring one’s creativity vs. being in relationships. Otherwise, I suspect most of my main characters would find my life fairly boring.

Stuff & Nonsense Questions

Q: Let’s pretend you’re taking a road trip, and you can choose any three of your characters to go with you. Who would you want on the ride-along, and why them?

Hmm. The very funny Gil, a gay, boisterous opera singer, (Fabulous! An Opera Buffa) would keep me laughing. Dana, a professional photographer, (The Ungodly Hour), would share my love of photography and is a very experienced traveler, plus she can afford to pay for the best hotels and meals. Charlie (The Outcast Oracle) is plucky, funny, and irreverent.

Q: If you could sit down to dinner with any author, past or present, who would you choose, and why? What are some things you’d want to chat about?

In the present, Kate Atkinson. I suspect that having a glass of wine (or two, three) with her would be an enchanting and hilarious experience. She has great wit and writes some of the funniest laugh-out-loud lines of any author living, which she does even in the middle of crime fiction. Although I would be daunted by her presence, I would swoon for the opportunity to listen to Virginia Woolf talk about writing or just about anything.

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, what are three things you’d absolutely have to have?

I suppose a computer is out? Well, a huge stack of blank journals and an equally tall stack of books. And a pen, of course. (If food, drink, and sunscreen are already included.)

Q: If you had to choose between becoming a superhero or supervillain, which would you choose and why? What would your superpower be?

As an author, I confess that writing villains is great fun. Perhaps this is one reason I was attracted to Patricia Highsmith’s work, though I suspect she was a nightmare as a friend/lover, and her sociopaths were a little too close to her own heart and personality. I don’t tend to think about superheroes or

supervillains, but if I could have a superpower, I’d wish for two new feet, a new back, well…a new me. And I’d banish a lot of the crazies in the America.

Q: If you could be any animal in the world, what would you choose? Why?

A tiger. It’s my Chinese astrological symbol. Just so long as I’m not endangered.

Q: If you could travel back in time, with all your years of experience and wisdom intact, what advice would you give to your teenage self?

Actually, in several titles, I’ve returned to my teenage years with characters who share some of my traits, especially Olivia in Once, Upon an Island, which is a favorite and very nostalgic book. Robin in The Firefly and Charlie in The Outcast Oracle fit, too. In each of these novels, the protagonists work through the pain and difficulty of their teenage years, so in fact, I’ve already “helped” them find their path forward.

Q: If you were to sit down and write your autobiography today, what would the title be?

A provocative question. I just discovered a huge journal of mine that was written from my late 20s through my early 40s and began reading it. To begin, I would never write an autobiography because I’m not that important and can’t remember dates. And as Tennessee Williams wrote in his Memoirs: “that it is for him to take his work seriously, not himself.” A title? Solitary…or, as in the second novella in my forthcoming project, The Writer Remembers.

Q: If you could be any fictional character who would you like to be and why?

Dana in The Ungodly Hour. She’s physically adventurous, has a great photography career, and has a summer apartment on Mykonos, with a condo in Manhattan. She’s also financially secure, cultured, sophisticated, tall, and blond…did I mention tall and blond?

Wonderful interview questions…thank you so much!