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I found two good quizzes to combine, one from the May issue of Oprah’s magazine and the other from the May issue of Marie Claire. (Can you tell I’m behind on my reading? These are two of my last few actual magazine subscriptions – I read everything else online these days.) I’ve adapted the questions a teeny bit to fit me, since I’m not a celebrity. And I don’t answer every single one!

If I weren’t a writer, I’d be:  Well I’d still be a writer because writing is like breathing to me and I’ve written since I was seven. But at the old day job I worked in subcontracts, process improvement, Lean Six Sigma and the like for NASA/JPL.

Least gracious response I ever gave to experiencing a career setback: Um, I filed a grievance.

Moment I felt I made it: When I met Nalini Singh at a romance conference and she remembered me (I’d interviewed her for USA Today HEA) AND said she enjoyed my books. Does it get any better???!!!

Kind of work I’d do for free: Actually, I’ve done it. I was a TV blogger for the USAT/HEA blog and got to interview some of my favorite actors and show runners and that was FUN. I got full season screeners of the shows…but it’s very time consuming to do right and the people who do this for an actual paid career do it a lot better and with wider bandwidth than I had. I enjoyed the heck out of the experience and would do it on a limited scale again under the right circumstances but it’s not a career choice for me.

Favorite perk of the job: Sharing worlds I’ve created with my readers. I’ve always ‘told stories’ but being able to publish them and know people are enjoying them is…AMAZING.

Worst pitfall of the job:  Pressure to publish more often. Now this is self imposed pressure, sure, but the world of scifi romance is very fast moving and I do feel the need to keep up.

How did I make my first dollar: Probably baby sitting?And my mother hated to iron so I got paid $.50/hour to do it for her. First paid job outside the home: dry cleaning counter clerk.

My perfect day would begin:  by getting up and feeding the cat because obviously if the cat hasn’t been fed this cannot be a perfect day and Jake knows I want him to be happy above all else.

My perfect day would end: in bed, with said cat on my lap, purring, while I read a good book by a favorite author or perhaps binge watch a reality series like ‘Top Chef’ or ‘Project Runway’, after I’ve written thousands of good words on my new book.

Store I can’t leave without buying something: Target. Also, pre-pandemic, this little local vintage store that always had a huge selection of fashion jewelry….and that last shop at Disneyland before you go out the gate…

Most important for my mental health: A feeling of control over events so I make To Do lists. I also have to watch my sugar and salt intake and how much time I spend on social media. Doomscrolling is a bad thing!

One thing in life you’re so happy you did: Getting married at 19 and having children at age 30 and 32. Everything else in my adult life is rooted in those two choices in one way or another. No regrets on that, ever.

What gives you hope: The human ability to invent new solutions. When I look back, I can remember all sorts of issues that were going to do the human race in and then as time passed, people rallied to solve the problems. We just can’t leave it until too late. Also, the younger generations. They’ll have new approaches to old problems, they tackle things differently, they bring fresh perspectives. It’s going to be their world (until the next generations rise up to replace them LOL).

When in your life have you needed courage: When I was widowed with a three year old and a five year old.

What do you think about on long drives?:  Story plots!

Biggest pet peeve: Right now? People who don’t wear masks. In general, that I don’t have total control of the universe and so things happen to keep me from checking off everything on my To Do List (kidding). Cliffhanger endings for books when the next book in the series won’t be out for a year. Second seasons or sequels that undo everything I liked in the first book/season. The grocery store being out of my favorite flavor of Haagen-Daz ice cream.

If you could send a note to yourself in 2030, what would it say? : So, did you hit 100 books published yet?