Q & A

Q: WHEN DID YOU START WRITING?
A: I’ve always liked to write, whether it would be short stories, letters, essays, or poems. I thought seriously about writing my first novel in 1999 when I developed a story-line in my head, which came to me so instinctively. I started jotting down notes, which turned into pages, which turned into chapters until I had twenty-four chapters. That’s when "Life is But a Dream" came to life.

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR EACH BOOK?
A: "Life is But a Dream" and its sequel, "Dance Me to the End of Love," was conceived through my experience in ballroom dance training, which began in 1999. That adventure introduced me to so many life-changing events and sequences. It taught me to believe in myself and to know that I can do anything I set my mind to. This story, about a strong and independent woman who is quite vulnerable to destructive forces in life, is "loosely" based on my own trials through a segment of my life. The books, "The Escort, Et Cetera," its sequels, "The Escort II—Princess and the Surrogate" and "The Escort III—Son of an Escort" were a little different. Not that any part of this story derived from my own experiences (wink-wink), the covert and esoteric lifestyle of an escort intrigued me and the many scenarios for sub-plots seemed too easy to not create an adventurous story around. I took a risk and created a very steamy novel slathered with deception, lust, and heart.

Q: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE A BOOK?
A: The first book took two years to write. At the time I started to write, I was also focused on other interests and distractions. The sequel, which is the longest book to date, only took two months to write. Once I removed the distractions and got focused, I motored through it. The story came easy to me and I never had a ‘writer’s block’ moment. The Escort, Et Cetera also took two months to actually write. Its sequels took a little longer because I do hold a full-time job, plus I have to devote part of my time to marketing and promoting all my books.

Q: HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH YOUR CHARACTERS? DO YOU COME UP WITH THE CHARACTERS FIRST OR THE STORYLINE?
A: Some are based on real-life individuals and others are truly fictional. Sometimes I don’t always have all the characters in place before I start a story—they’re developed because the story requires a particular character at a specific point in time. A good example of that is "Carmen" (Princess) in The Escort series. I needed a character who would bring a unique quality to the plot, which Carmen did, and she ended up not only being a prominent character in "The Escort, Et Cetera," but she later got her own billing in "The Escort II—Princess and the Surrogate." I became very attached to Princess. Sometimes I have a hard time letting go of my characters, hence, the sequels!

Q: HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH YOUR CHARACTERS’ NAMES?
A: Some of the names I choose for my characters are names that are special to me—whether they’re names of people I know, or names that have a unique significance. I often disguise the names of special people in my life with that of names of places or things in my books. For example, in "Life is But a Dream," Tyana and her best friend frequent a restaurant called "Julian’s". Julian is my youngest son’s name.

Q: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SELF PUBLISH?
A: I chose self-publishing first because I felt very passionate about my stories and I wanted to see them in print and share them with others now, opposed to waiting and hoping that a traditional publisher will even read my manuscripts, let alone, publish them. I also wanted to retain my creative rights, which doesn’t always happen with a traditional publisher. I have not ruled out pursuing a traditional publisher. I’m confident that my books will get picked up.

Q: WHICH BOOK IS YOUR FAVORITE?
A: They’re all my favorite for different reasons. They have totally different story-lines and characters. "Dance Me to the End of Love" was the easiest to write. The process was effortless and because of the dancing, I’m a little partial to that story.

Q: WHAT DOES YOUR SLOGAN MEAN… "A UNIQUE FLAVOR OF ROMANCE NOVELS"?
A: My goal and challenge with each book is to write something just a tad distinctive and unpredictable from other romance novels. Those who don’t particularly read romance novels don’t, partly because of the "mush" factor. I wanted to combine adventure, lust, suspense, and drama, and come up with unpredictable scenarios—to give the readers way more than just "mush". You be the judge. Read them and let me know what you think!

Q: DID YOU TAKE WRITING CLASSES IN SCHOOL?
A: No. However, I do subscribe to writing publications and have access to seminars, workshops, and many other sources for writing. I’ve learned a great deal about the mechanics of writing since even my first novel. The key to a successful book is also a good editor. Some writers hire "ghost writers" to punch up their stories.

Q: HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO CREATE THE CHARACTER, CHARLOTTE? WAS THE VILLAIN CHARACTER EASIER TO CREATE THAN THE OTHERS, AND WHY?
A: I needed an antagonist, of course, hence the character. After writing the first book, "Life is But a Dream," I felt that Charlotte needed a louder voice, so she became a prominent character in "Dance Me to the End of Love." She gave the story the "oomph" that it has. It was actually exhilarating for me to develop her. I describe her as someone with guts and brains, but no soul. Her schemes were all very calculated, manipulative ploys that she executed flawlessly. While writing her scenes, I put myself in the mind of a few people I have come across in life who would stop at absolutely nothing until they achieved their goal, even at the expense of others. I, personally, couldn’t be a "Charlotte", but it was refreshing to write the villain character in that light.

Q: WHICH CHARACTER IS YOUR FAVORITE AND LEAST FAVORITE?
A: I like all my characters. I may not always like what they stand for, but they all serve a purpose for my stories.

Q: DO YOU COME UP WITH THE TITLE FIRST OR THE STORY?
A: Usually the title, then the story and finally I select the players. So far, I’ve always used the first title I come up with. "Life is But a Dream" was derived from the nursery rhyme which intrigued me (think about it). Sometimes I wondered if what we’re doing right now in our conscious state isn’t really a dream and when we dream, it’s really real life. Hmmm…

Q: DO YOU PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS WHEN YOU’RE WRITING? IF SO, WHICH ONE(S)?
A: I pick each character carefully. Sometimes it’s a tedious process because the characters are all vital to the stories. Depending on the character, especially the main characters, I have to put myself in their shoes and their heads to give them a voice and traits. I live with them throughout the entire process. I try to feel what they would feel and think how they would think. Although you might think that Tyana Dominique would have been the obvious character for me to assume, it was actually Sebastién Marcelis who I spent the most time with mentally because he turned out to be a difficult character to give life to. The many challenges that he faced in his life posed special challenges for me to write about. I applaud his individuality and tenacity, but I also empathized with his vulnerable side.

Q: WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE CHICAGO AS THE CITY IN THE ESCORT BOOKS VERSUS THE OTHER BIG CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES?
A: The best reason is because Chicago is my favorite big city of the few big cities I've visited in the United States. I used to live there long ago so I have some familiarity with the city and I feel safest there if I needed to explore the city alone while visiting for research. Chicago lends itself to an abundance of fascinating venues to which one would require an escort. It exudes wealth and adventure. It’s also an exciting city where anything imaginable could happen. I had a great time traveling there on several occasions for research and have met wonderful people while visiting. My favorite tall building in the world is the John Hancock Center.