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Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I was born… No, I won’t do that to you. I’ll sum up, instead. I grew up in Colorado. Met my husband in high school and proceeded to move all over the world. In the course of our long, long, marriage we’ve managed to move over 35 times, living all over the United States as well as Singapore, China and Canada before finally settling down in Arkansas — our favorite place of all.
It was while living in China that I finally slowed down enough to start writing some of the stories that were floating around in my head. A large part of Brain Storm was written in our apartment in Suzhou, a city located a few hours outside of Shanghai. And Starbucks. There was a Starbucks nearby and I spent quite a bit of time there, nursing a latte made by Killer or Three (the names of the Baristas) while I wrote Taylor’s story at my make-shift desk near the window.
When we returned home to the States, Brain Storm was nearly finished and I’d caught the writing bug. The first book took me a couple of years to complete. Now I can write a book in a few months if life doesn’t get in the way. It has a way of doing that. Cooking, cleaning, laundry…
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
It’s a combination of both. Some characters I make up, but there are others have a basis in real life. Alex Connors, for instance, is based on my grandfather. A small man of Irish descent, the two men share a number of traits and characteristics. Connors — as Taylor calls him — is a man that she takes an instant liking to and she seeks out his advice and companionship on a regular basis.
Taylor herself is somewhat a reflection on some of my quirks… She’s addicted to lattes, does a lot of her thinking in the shower and has little to no tolerance for liars. She’s also morally conflicted. With her abilities, she can do things that no one else can, so she worries about losing control and crossing the line. I think given the circumstances Taylor finds herself in we all would be torn at times — but just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. With great power comes great responsibility. It’s something that keeps her awake at night, and has me pausing over the keyboard asking myself if I did this, could I look at myself in the mirror? Would this compromise my principals and beliefs? It’s a fine line to walk, but Taylor tries her best.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Brain Storm?
Oh, the characters! There are some great ones in the series, and they are pretty well defined. Unlike the majority of thrillers out there, there are relationships here. You get to know and love Taylor’s “crew”.
There’s her best friend Trinity — the pitbull lawyer that is loyal and fierce. Mama D is Trinity’s grandmother. The one that holds them together and who Taylor seeks out when she needs some tender loving care. We have Jonas, the police detective that ends up on the run with Taylor, and Mac — the man who has been secretly watching her for years — waiting for her powers to emerge. Then there’s Lars. Ah, Lars. A quiet but deadly giant of a man who irritates Taylor beyond belief. He’s determined to protect her in spite of herself, which makes for some rather interesting and amusing situations.
There are others as well and I try to make sure they all stay in character — acting and reacting the way you think they would. Each one fills a space in Taylor’s life, and she wouldn’t trade them for anything. In fact, protecting them is the reason she does what she does. She loves them as much as fans of the series do!
How did you come up with the concept for the book?
I’ve always been fascinated with how the mind works and I love action, suspense and thrills in the books I read, so combining the two things seemed — pardon the pun — a no brainer. At least for me.
The bad news is that the books are cross-over genres. They don’t have vampires, demons or werewolves so they aren’t really considered paranormal, but they have a psychic element so they aren’t traditional thrillers either. They’re a combination of both.
The good news is that they’re different. My readers love the psychic twist in both of the series. I think it’s something we’ve all been through. Whether it’s sensing something is about to happen, or that feeling of dè já vu, most of us have experienced a time when we ask ourselves did that just happen? That’s what makes it fun. What happens to Taylor, could happen to us…
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
My favorite part is that Taylor evolves — not just in Brain Storm, but throughout the series. In the beginning when her abilities emerge, she’s thrown off her game, struggling to find her balance, but she learns. In the latest book in the series, she’s a force to be reckoned with. She’s come into her own and through it all, she manages to hold to her values and moral code. It’s a hard journey, but she’s gotten there. Now we’ll see what she can do with it.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I still don’t consider myself a writer. I’m a storyteller. I’ve always been a storyteller. I just put it down on paper now.
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
I have a beginning and an end. I know what the story is about and how it starts, but other than that I let the characters weave their own tale. I’m very strict about details — the story has to make sense; questions have to be answered; characters have to react as you or I would. I find an outline tends to restrict that process. The result is often surprising, even to me. Sometimes the book is nothing like I thought it would be, but I don’t change it. I don’t re-think what the characters do. I don’t do drafts and re-writes. What I write the first time is what goes to press. It’s scary, but it works for me.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
Hopefully, a little of both! The books are different — containing a psychic element in a genre that usually doesn’t have that, but it works.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
That’s a great question! And yes — some of the main characters even showed up unexpectedly. Two fun ones made their appearance in the series a couple of books ago and I brought them into Taylor’s crew in the latest book. They’re a great addition and already have their own fan base.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
Quite a bit. I try to make sure things work the way they’re supposed to and that it all makes sense. I pick out locations, study maps, try out different things so see what might actually work and what doesn’t. The books all have a psychic twist, so I try to make sure the rest of the story is as accurate as possible. If no one ever runs out of ammo, or takes a wrong turn, it lowers the ‘believability’ factor.
Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
I think it’s that they’re human. They’re like you and me. Normal everyday people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. They react like we would. Have the same fears, needs and wants. The same daily issues to deal with. Life doesn’t stop in a crisis. It just gets more complicated.
Each of the characters has their own weaknesses and quirks, along with their own unique strengths. Together, as friends, they are a formidable force. They love and care for each other. They also argue, tease and annoy. In other words — they’re us.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
I write in silence. Once I start writing, I’m oblivious to everything else. I hear nothing. I see nothing. Not even my alarms to get up and move away from the keyboard. I know a lot of authors write to a song, but I don’t. No sense wasting perfectly good music. That’s for after the writing is done…
What can we expect from you in the future?
More books. More adventures. Taylor has wrongs to right, and Molly has just begun solving her mysteries — so there are plenty more books to come.
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
If my readers see this question, they’re going to die laughing, because they know how I labor over naming the characters. The names have to be perfect and I have a terrible time picking them. The worst part is that I can’t write until I have the name — because the name is everything. For instance: The Molly McMurray Mysteries all came about because of the name.
A fan of Taylor’s wrote me an email excited about the books and her name was Molly McMurray. I instantly fell in love with it. I asked her if she minded if I used it for a character and she said it was mine! Suddenly there was this whole little person, with a personality and a perky attitude and a psychic twist all her own and the new series was born. I wish finding names were always that easy…
How long have you been writing?
Only about ten years. I got a late start. Don’t get me wrong — I’ve always told stories. I made up tales for our daughter and one of my favorite pastimes was making up stories about people we passed at the mall or in the park. I wrote stories, but they were in the form of letters back when we put pen to paper instead of fingers to keyboards. Everyone told me I should be writing books, but there never seemed to be time. Then we moved to China and suddenly, there was nothing but time. I wrote most of Brain Storm there, but when we returned to the States, I went back to my old ways. Having spare time to write was thing of the past and the book sat on my computer, unfinished. But the need to write had been sparked and I discovered that if I wanted to write, I had to make the time. So I did. It’s like everything else in life — you make time for the things that are important to you and writing had become important. I only wish I had learned that lesson sooner.
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