Subtle things, like a warm night with the scent of honeysuckle and the sound of crickets or music (preferably piano) in the background; being alone with someone, maybe on a picnic in the woods or on a deserted beach; being caught in the rain together; strangers traveling together. Anything happening with music by Vivaldi in the background.

Reading first: I don’t like all romances, just the ones that move me by reminding me of the mystery and joy of life and loving someone. They affirm my belief that human relationships are the most important thing in life.

Oh, boy. I love the Old West, of course, since that is my current writing genre. I also like ancient history–Egypt, Crete, Ireland, you name it. And medieval, particularly the 12^th century (the "high" medieval period of troubadours and courtly love and Eleanor of Aquitaine). Then there’s the Mughal and later the Colonial period in India, samurai-era Japan; ancient/medieval (Tang, Ming) China.

As far as my own writing, I prefer 12^th century Europe and the Old West; all my books are set in Oregon, because my family roots are there. My grandparents settled near Langlois (Curry County); their parents came west in 1848 in a covered wagon. My mother was raised on a ranch near Dixonville (just east of Roseburg, Douglas County).

I like my heroes to be honorable, capable, soft-spoken, with great inner strength and a sense of humor. I like heroines that are not easily put down and who are basically kind, "tuned in" to other people, fresh and spontaneous in their response to life and events.

Working with savvy editors. I like the freedom of choosing whether or not to include a love scene and their appreciation of characters that are unusual or, as my editor says, a bit "quirky."

I like exploring what a fish-out-of-water heroine will come up with when push comes to shove. I like her ingenuity and her courage, and also the genuine caring among the characters–Jane the heroine and her failing mother; her old mammy, Odelia; her one friend in town, the grizzled, one-armed Lefty Springer; and the gradual growth of unshakable love between Jane and the hero, Rydell Wilder.

You will laugh at this. I came up with Jane because it rhymes with "plain." Rydell is a family name and it’s "nick-nameable" (Dell). Wilder for two reasons: it’s suggestive of a checkered past and it’s the name of a local ranch in my area. Odelia I named for Odetta, a black folk singer I have always admired.

Google. Painted Rock Research. Amazon (I read the book excerpts and reviews).

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