Upcoming Interviews and Blog Spots

Appearances:

Awards

1st Place, 2014 Aspen Gold Novella

Reader’s Choice Awards for Published Writers

1st Place, 2013 Aspen Gold Single Title

Reader’s Choice Awards for Published Writers

2nd Place, 2013 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award

1st Runner Up, Single Title Contemporary

2010 Washington Romance Writers Marlene Contest

1st Place, Single Title

2009 West Houston Romance Writers of America Emily Contest

1st Place, Contemporary Romantic Suspense

2008 San Francisco Romance Writers of America Heart to Heart Contest

Finalist in the 2009 Chronicle of Philanthropy’s VolunTV challenge for writing a TV pitch showcasing volunteerism.

FAQ:

• How Did You Become A Writer?  95% persistence and 5% timing. Persistence, because I kept submitting my first book after more than 40 rejections by agents and editors. Remember – it only takes one! Persistence also because it takes a tremendous amount of self-control to sit down, every night after already putting in eight hours at a job, turning down social invites, ignoring the hottest shows on TV, and forcing yourself to write. Every day. And timing helped. A savvy friend forced me to join Twitter just before an editor held a twitter contest – that resulted in a four book deal for me, which turned into an eleven book partnership with a big publishing house. Check out this blog post on it.
• Do I Have To Write Every Day To Get Published? No. But you should set yourself goals, because once you are contracted, that deadline won’t move. Not if you crash your car, or get sick, or suddenly get to take a week long vacation in France.
• Where Do You Get Your Ideas? Frequently I get inspired when on trips. My brain goes into overdrive and the new, excitingly different setting fills me with ideas. But they can hit anywhere – from a wine-tasting to the streets of Manhattan – as I relate in this post.