When did you decide you wanted to become an author? Do you have another job besides writing?

I knew from the time I was small that I wanted to become a writer. I always loved reading and always felt that I wanted to touch people and help them through my writing. All my jobs have involved writing in one way or another.

Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?

Yes, I was the kid reading at night under the covers with a flashlight! I loved reading fantasy and stories set in the past. Some of my favorite writers were Dickens and
Willa Cather. Very different styles, but full of humanity and longing.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

My latest book, Birthing the Elephant: The Woman’s Go For It! Guide to Overcoming the Big Challenges of Launching a Business, is coauthored with Bruce Freeman. We set out to write an engaging, inspiring guide to starting a small business. It’s filled with stories and helpful advice. Part portable success coach, part launch guide to the ups and downs of starting a new venture, it takes women step by step through a small-business launch, showing them smart moves to make and pitfalls to avoid.

We were inspired to write the book because of the huge numbers of women launching new businesses, the explosion of the Internet, and the need for an action guide for women that tackled the emotional aspects of making the move from employee to entrepreneur, from isolation and image anxiety to money styles.

How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

The book is based on a proposal that we submitted outlining 10 chapters. Some of the chapters changed dramatically as the book evolved from our interviews. The creative process really focused on capturing the voice of the many different women interviewed for the book.

Are you a disciplined writer?

I’ve become much more disciplined about my writing. I used to wait for the muse to arrive – now I realize that when I show up, so does the muse!