Toni, Rocki and I had dinner last night in New York and had a huge argument. I said (quite emphatically) that I would much rather go through an earthquake than a hurricane. Rocki looked at me like I was insane. (It might have been the four glasses of wine she’d had . . . ) but she said, “But you don’t know when an earthquake is coming!” “But,” I countered, “a hurricane is far more destructive.” Toni, being the diplomat, didn’t take sides. (Okay, she sided with Rocki, but I like to think that she was neutral.) A California native,… Read More

Hi gang: Normally, I would never do this . . . but today was my bi-monthly post at Romancing The Blog. I spent WAY too much time writing that post and zapped any other ideas from my brain. However, it’s relevant to readers AND writers: illegal downloads of books. So if you’d like, visit Romancing The Blog today for my post. And to make it up to you, I’m giving away another ARC. I just got my first two author copies of SUDDEN DEATH and realized I still have an ARC. So it’s yours . . . well, to one… Read More

We talk a lot about heroes, heroines, and villains. But there’s a character that in many ways and in many stories is just as important as the protagonist and antagonist–and that’s the sidekick. The pal. The mentor. A secondary character who is important to either the protagonist or the story itself–or better yet? Both. I was thinking about this today when I posted something over at the Romantic Times message board about my character Dr. Hans Vigo. Hans was a throwaway character in my first trilogy, someone my FBI agents could call up for information. No one I had plans… Read More

The other night, my two oldest daughters and I went to see THE UNINVITED, a teen PG-13 horror flick that Artsy Daughter (formerly known as Brennan #2) wanted to see. (I’ve decided to adopt Natalie’s proclivity of naming children after their talent.) Warning: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. But honestly, I don’t expect anyone here to see the movie, though it had its moments. Athletic Daughter, 15, (formerly known as Brennan #1) hated the movie. The bulk of the movie was “okay” but she despised the ending. She was depressed, felt that the actress had to have been depressed to play… Read More

I am the bane of my own existence. Rocki had a post the other week about her process and how it’s evolved after writing 20+ books. I just finished the revisions for book #11 and I did an all-nighter because I was late. First, I’m going to be 40 this year. I didn’t think about it until Jan 1, and now I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m going to be FORTY. I’m too old to stay up all night. I took the kids to school Wednesday, came home and crashed until I woke up barely in time to get… Read More

Yes, I’m addicted to books. No surprise coming from an author, right? I love books. I love the way the look sitting on my shelves, I love the way they smell when you first crack them open (and there’s nothing like an old but well-dusted library!), I love the way they feel sitting in my hand at the dinner table, in my comfy chair, and especially during my increasingly rare bubble baths. (There is NOTHING better — okay, very little better — than reading a good book in a hot bath with candles, bubbles, a premium red wine, and cheese… Read More

Considering I’m just now going to bed after wrapping presents while watching four episodes of Law & Order SVU (Season 10, through Apple TV), I don’t have a post for you today. It’s Christmas, a time for family, friends and reflection. My reflection? My kids are spoiled. But I certainly had fun doing it. Merry Christmas.

Yes, I’m late posting. Sorry! I meant to write this last night, but I’m late on my book. Yep, that’s right, late. I hate being late on my books because it makes me feel like a slacker. And it seems that from Thanksgiving to Christmas, everything is in a rush. Time goes by faster. It’s two weeks until Christmas and I’m not done shopping. I’d hoped to type THE END by tonight (and shop all day tomorrow), but I’ll be short and be writing through the weekend. The good news is that I’m really happy with the story. This doesn’t… Read More

Okay, not an original title, but heck, I’ve been on multiple deadlines and right now all my creative energy is going to my WIP. Have you noticed the depressing blogs and posts over the last few weeks? Sure, we know why. The economy is in the pits and the book business is struggling. Borders is on the verge of bankruptcy, a publisher put a temporary freeze on the acquisition of books (they were overextended as it was, according to reports) and Random House froze pensions. This is a crazy time and because of the uncertainty of the economy, the volatile… Read More

I like smart men. Intelligence is sexy. Looks may go, but wit and intelligence stay for the duration. So it’s no surprise that most of my heroes use brains over brawn–though they could certainly hold their own if called to. SUDDEN DEATH is in production and I wrote my first real alpha hero. John Flynn (THE PREY), Zack Travis (THE KILL), and Connor Kincaid (SEE NO EVIL) were all alpha heroes, but with the exception of maybe John, no one comes close to mercenary Jack Kincaid. Jack came on scene in FEAR NO EVIL where he was called to help… Read More