When did you know that DERANGED would become a novel that you could sell? Was it during the writing process?

Not until the day it sold. Of course, while I was writing it I held that hope, as we all do.

Were there any points when writing DERANGED that you became stuck and felt that you may not be able to figure it out, or did the story ‘flow’ out of you?

It was a learning process. I’d never written fiction and never taken journalism or creative writing, so I was flying blind. I’d written for a small Irish newspaper in California, plus magazine articles. But never fiction. Then one day I decided to write a novel. It was the result of a dream. Literally. A dream so vivid that upon my awakening still felt very real. The memory stayed with me and I knew I had to tell the story. Not until after I’d finished did I realize that something else was also in play. Years ago I’d known a girl who at 12 was abducted, raped and murdered, her body found buried in the California desert. It was never solved. I think on a subconscious level I wanted to give her story a different ending. The characters and plot flowed very easily for me, as did the point of view. But it was definitely a lesson in pacing. I did it the hard way but I learned a lot in the process. By the time I finished I wondered why I hadn’t been writing fiction all along. It’s a wonderful place to be and I love it.

Are there any novels that you have started and given up on? If so what were the reasons?

No, one thing I don’t do is give up. I’m like a pit bull in that respect. It might take awhile before I can face the blank page again, but I do face it. I’ve finished my second novel and have started the third. Another is already written in my head. I had one short story that wouldn’t work, , so I set it aside. Months later I gave it a new starting point, and it practically wrote itself. Nothing should be tossed. Even if the story didn’t work, there could be one great sentence in it that might be the seed for a different story. Stephen King related something about his early, struggling days. He wrote CARRIE, decided it was no good, and threw it in the trash. His wife retrieved it, read it, and told him she thought he was on to something. CARRIE became the catalyst that led to his phenomenal success. In my experience, when I’ve spent a lot of time on a story, I reach a point where I’m too close to it and don’t know if it’s great or terrible. That’s a good time to set it aside until I can look at it with fresh eyes.

Do you prefer to read long or short novels? Do you favour a richness or a simplicity to stories?

I prefer a story that zips along and doesn’t bog me down. Let me sink my teeth into it in the first few pages or I’ll go elsewhere. I want characters I feel a strong emotion towards, be it love or hate or pure disgust. My “to read” stack grows faster than my ability to read them as it takes time away from writing. But I’m always reading something.

When writing dark characters, does it affect your mood in real life?

I certainly hope not! I love writing those nasty, dark characters but they’re diametrically opposite to who I am. If I would let them encroach into my real life I’d probably get arrested. I love getting into their heads to see what makes them tick. Charlie, in DERANGED, started out as a minor character but he demanded much more and I’m glad I listened. He was a living, breathing entity and he scared the daylights out of me, but he led me into some wonderfully dark places.

Do you ever write for an intended audience? Have you ever altered a story so that it would fit better with a certain audience?

I’d like to say “No, you can never please everybody so I write what I enjoy and hope the audience will find me. I’m comfortable with that.” But the truth is, I just finished a novel the publisher asked me to write. It’s a murder mystery, sans cursing, graphic sex or violence as it’s keyed to an older readership. It was challenging, as the violence and all is such fun to write. It came easier than I’d thought and has some colorful, eccentric characters. I’ve started another with some of the same characters that picks up where the other ends. But I’m also working on a far darker one, as well as more short stories. I even went out of my comfort zone and wrote a sci-fi flash fiction piece that will be on Black Petals in the spring.

Your sister, Arlette, is also a published author. Do you write within similar genres? Are your writing styles similar?

We definitely write within the same genres and our short stories frequently end up in the same publications. But you could put them side by side unsigned and always know who wrote which. Our writing styles are very different. We have a “double” book of our short stories that just came out and is available at amazon.com. My side is titled CRAWLSPACE and hers is COLD BULLETS AND HOT BABES. It’s filled with previously published stories as well as several new ones. And we’re both in the anthology, BATTLING BOXING STORIES, which will be out soon.

Without giving too much away, was there any point in DERANGED’s narrative that you wouldn’t have wanted to happen as a reader, but relished writing as an author?

Absolutely! I killed off a character I loved. It damn near broke my heart but I felt it was essential. When my sister read that chapter she phoned to yell at me, demanding I not kill that person. It definitely got the emotional reaction I was looking for.

advice would you give to young writers about to attempt their first short stories or novels?

Write what you love to read. After reading a story you love, go back and reread it. The second time study what the author did that made it work. Don’t be discouraged by rejection and don’t turn them off with bad spelling. Develop a thick skin. What’s wrong for one publication might be right for another, so do your homework. Each rejection slip proves you’re out there trying. Don’t look at criticism as rejection. It means they liked it well enough to comment. Sometimes a small change can make a big difference.

With a novel-length piece, how much time to you spend planning a book?

The idea percolates in my head for awhile before I ever confront that blank page. I know the beginning, middle, and end and then the characters fill in the rest, leading me where I need to go. My goal is for the reader to have a great ride from beginning to end.

Was a lot of research required for DERANGED?

I’ve always read tons of true crime but I did extensive research on the criminal mind, sociopaths and psychopaths. I’m fascinated by what enables and motivates people to do what a normal person could never even imagine. Then I imagined it.

How did you find editing DERANGED? Was it painful to cut any parts out?

I was brutal. I went from over 70,000 words all the way down to 40,000 and then built it up again from there until I had the pacing just right. There are always words and sentences we love that don’t need to be there. If they’re that good save them for another project.

Do you plan a direct sequel to DERANGED or is your next one going to be completely different?

Completely different.

How many stories did you submit before first becoming published when you were starting out?

I’ve been extremely lucky. I sold my first novel. I’m pretty sure I’ve sold the second, but am still waiting to hear. I’ve sold every short story I’ve written. A few of them I was asked to tweak a little, but I listened.

Do you ever base characters on friends/family/people you don’t like?

No. But little pieces of them, or me, might sneak in.

How do you view sub-plots? As a necessary chore or a relief from the main story? Or neither?

Probably neither. Whatever works to propel things forward. If something becomes a chore I’d take it as a clue that it’s not working.

As a reader, who are your current favorite writers?

When I started writing noir, I had never read the genre. It was an advantage because I wasn’t tempted to copy a particular style. I developed my own voice and style. It came easy to me because I’ve always loved old noir movies. It was later I started reading the masters like Hammett and the rest. Jim Thompson’s THE KILLER INSIDE ME is my favorite. Of the current generation, brave and talented new writers are always surfacing, but I love Dave Zeltserman. No matter what genre he takes on he always delivers a great story. And for great characters early Stephen King can’t be beat.

Do you have any guilty pleasures on your bookshelf?

The OUTLANDER series by Diana Gabaldon. Set in Scotland, she mixed genres I never gravitated to, a touch of sci-fi time-travel with steamy historical romance and plenty of adventure to create stories I couldn’t put down. Oh, and that great big book of dirty limericks.

When writing DERANGED, did you need to structure your day to fit in a set amount of writing?

Structure? What’s that? Structure and self-discipline are two words missing from my vocabulary. It’s a definite character flaw. I’m working on it though. Honest.

Finally, what is your favorite genre to write in?

Hard boiled, crime, and the darkest possible noir, with a touch of horror. I wish I’d discovered it years ago because I’m having the time of my life!