From the time my chubby little fingers could grasp a crayon, I was never without a writing implement. I wrote on sidewalks with chalk, on paper with toothpicks dipped in invisible ink, and on leaves with fountain pens. My first masterpiece, at the tender age of six, was an illustrated menu for Thanksgiving dinner, though I'm not sure if that resulted from a love of writing or a love of food.
A fan of Nancy Drew mysteries, I once retreated to a corner of the sofa to finish a book while my birthday party continued outside. But the highlight of my childhood was Saturday night when Nana Mickey would babysit. Each week, she’d tell us a hair-curling tale of smugglers and kidnappers at the South Street Seaport, which ended in a cliffhanger to be continued the following week. As I got older, I’d “borrow” Nan's romance novels. I couldn’t get enough of the hopeful stories and happily-ever-after endings. I suppose that’s why when I started writing novels, they were suspenseful romances.
My first completed novel, Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, was banished to a slot in the file cabinet after receiving an impressive number of rejection letters. I am thoroughly convinced that the arts of origami and decoupage were invented by a frustrated, rejected writer. Paper, paper everywhere and much too large for the underlying message. "No," "This book stinks," and "You suck" are all short phrases that could be written on tiny strips of paper and attached to a pigeon's leg for easy delivery anywhere in the continental United States. Save a tree and save on postage.
When I am not writing novels, I am a technical writing consultant creating user documentation and courseware for proprietary systems. Huh?? Don't worry, I get that all the time. (Even my mother just figured out what I do for a living.) Basically, I write the manuals you love to hate--the ones that tell you how to use software applications.
My other loves are music (all kinds), foreign languages (I speak a few), dance (especially ballroom), and irreverent humor. There is no greater thrill than reading my son's short stories and marveling that he inherited my passion for writing.
I love my life and feel blessed to be able to live it on my terms. No 9 to 5 for me. No suits. Just me and a notebook and a pen, sitting out front, drinking coffee, and writing as my spirit sings . . . in Spanish.
If you're still awake and just have to know more, check out my blog for the story on how I found out THE BENEFACTOR was going to be published. Or, if you're interested in my progress on my next novel, check out the she-said-he-said account of what it's like to collaborate with someone who lives across the Atlantic Ocean whom you've never met. If you have a burning question I've neglected to answer or just want to say hi, feel free to email me.