What do you find romantic?

I used to always complain that my husband wasn't romantic. I even commented on it in passing to a local journalist and when she wrote a feature about me a week or so later, she mentioned that my husband was not romantic. Needless to say, he got teased mercilessly by his buddies. Since then, he's made a real effort to be more romantic. 

For Christmas this year, he came home with a Burger King bag with a balloon tied to it. You heard me right--a Burger King bag. Why Burger King? We went on our first date our junior year of high school, and we just happened to stop by there for a quick bite to eat. He got a whopper wrapper from them for the tissue paper because we ordered whoppers that night (hold the onions!) and he wrote me the most beautiful card that said he still remembers that feeling he had the first time he knew he loved me and feels it every time he sees me.

What was inside the bag? Really, I didn't care at that point. I was in tears because he'd obviously put so much thought into the presentation but inside was a beautiful tanzanite bracelet, necklace and earrings.

He's a keeper :)

Why do you like reading and writing romance?

Romances speak to my tender soul. I'm the one that cries over all the Little House on the Prairie episodes--even though I've seen them a million times each. I tear up when I hear about anything bad happening to anyone, so I can't watch the nightly news. Romance is about two people finding each other against all odds and falling in love despite this crazy mixed up world of ours. I'm also a sucker for happy endings.

What characteristics do you like to incorporate into your heroes and heroines?

While they are each very different, they must have some sort of moral values. One character may be quite prudish and another quite wild but they would never steal your boyfriend, kick your dog when you aren't looking, or stab you in the back.

What type of conflicts do you like to weave into your story plots?

Anything that puts my characters into complete and utter torment. I really like to torture my characters. I've had conflicts from the woman who has to share her heritage (pretty classic plot) to the man trying to raise twins alone, to the woman who really does need to marry for money but feels guilty as heck, to the brother whose meddling sisters won't stay out of his love life.

Your new release, "Housebreaking a Husband," is a contemporary romance.  What gave you the idea for the plot?

I was chatting with a friend one day over lunch, and we were lamenting about our husbands as women will sometimes do. I told her that I'd been taking our new puppy to obedience training and if I could just teach my husband a few tricks, he'd finally be housebroken. It was said jokingly of course--my husband will never be housebroken, he's too headstrong. Suddenly the lightbulb went off and the title HOUSEBREAKING A HUSBAND was born. Obviously the heroine had to be a dog trainer and the rest is history.

Tell us about your new novel "Housebreaking a Husband?"

The hero is trying to raise his twin niece and nephew on his own and struggling. His sexy next door neighbor wants children desperately and can't have them. He needs a nanny. She is already growing attached to the kids.

Along the way they encounter quite a few bumps until they are able to chase away their own personal demons and find happily-ever-after.

What current and future projects are you working on now?

I have several proposals out. Two for romantic comedies and one for a romantic suspense. I'm also working on some nonfiction book proposals, and I'm always writing articles to make ends meet.

What are your three favorite bookmarks (web sites)?

www.worldromancewriters.com

www.gottareview.com

www.momwriters.com

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