Frequently Asked Questions

(and some answers)

Where did the idea for the Riley series come from?

Riley's world grew out of other books. If you've read Circle of Desire or either of the Ripple Creek books, you'll recognize bits of the world building that's in Riley. It was while I was in the process of writing those books that Riley's world formed. As for the actual story line that threads through the first three books, that comes from an article I read online about cloning.

How many books will be in the Riley series?

I have nine books planned in total, but the series could go on from there if there's a demand (and if I think Riley still has a story that needs to be told)

Will Riley ever have her happy ending?

Define happy? lol.

Actually, if you've read Embraced by Darkness, then you've read the answer already. As Dia said, Riley will get what she wants in the end...just not how she imagined it <g>

Do you plan to write another book in the Spook Squad series?

There was a fourth book planned, but it's been so long since I've written in the Spook Squad world that I've lost the flow of the story and the characters. So the answer would have to be maybe.

Are there going to be any more Circle or Lifemate books?

Maybe on the Circle series, and definitely on the Lifemate series. It's just a matter of finding the time.

How long have you been writing?

I've actually been writing since I was twelve, but it was only after I fell pregnant with Kasey and then quit my first job (a clerk at the weather bureau) that I decided to get serious about my writing.

How long did it take you to get published?

Dancing with the Devil was published in 2001--which was eleven years after I started getting serious about my writing. Dancing also happened to be the first novel I wrote after making that decision, but it underwent so many rewrites over the years that the book that came out had little resemblance to the one that was first written

How did you get an agent?

In the end, it was via a recommendation. I'd followed the usual submission process, and hadn't had much luck, though many agents did like Full Moon Rising. Some even helped me revise it. In the end, they didn't take me on because either they weren't sure where to market FMR or whether they could sell it. So when I submitted to Miriam, I wasn't holding out much hope. But five weeks later, she'd sold the first three books and gained my undying devotion :)

What is the difference between urban fantasy and paranormal romance?

Paranormal romance is a romance first and foremost. In urban fantasy the romance is generally a secondary plot (if it exists at all)