Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her when she refuses to inspire you?

I must confess that my muse sticks around - a lot. She loves to see me tiptoe downstairs to my computer at 2 AM, and pound out the words she generates in me. I really love the huge BUZZ a new rhyme or plot idea pumps through me: even in the early AM. However at 2 PM, when my eyelids droop known near my chin, I have a crazed urge to e-mail that #$% Muse, and give her a piece of my (yaw) mind.

From the moment you conceived the idea for the story, to the published book, how long did it take?

About six months.

Describe your working environment.

My writing den is our old family room: just off the kitchen. I started with a small table that had a much larger piece on marine plywood on top, so all my writing gear would fit on it. Later, dear husband put together a large U shaped desk, with cubbies, drawers, and lots of top shelves – pure heaven! Here, my computer reigns supreme. There’s a cozy wood fire, plus a comfortable sofa and chairs. Two windows onto the back gardens, and GroLux lights over wall shelves, for when I bring in tender plants to winter over.

Do you write non-stop until you have a first draft, or do you edit as you move along?

Tweak as I go along.

They say authors have immensely fragile egos… How would you handle negative criticism or a negative review?

I have had negative critiques that gave me a queasy stomach, plus a yen to bop someone on the nose. Fortunately, I resisted this urge. On second thoughts, the offending critique often proved right. So far, reviews for all of my books have been good to terrific. I would HATE a bad review. If we had a basement, I would probably lock myself down there and sulk.

As a writer, what scares you the most?

Never getting another book published.

When writing, what themes do you feel passionate about?

The theme of whatever book I am writing at the moment.

When it comes to writing, are you an early bird, or a night owl?

Night Owl.

Do you have an agent? How was your experience in searching for one?

No agent yet. So far, my agent search is a bust. It’s a toss up what’s the hardest – finding the right publisher, or finding the right agent. At the moment, I am going it alone.

Do you have any unusual writing quirks?

Only the fact that I write for a living – living? ?? This is a living? Thank God for my supportive husband, and my many wonderful clients needing professional critiques.

Technically speaking, what do you have to struggle the most when writing? How do you tackle it?