Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION: Are there going to be anymore books from Shelby Nichols point of view? 

ANSWER: Yes!! I can't imagine not writing about Shelby, so I'll just keep going as long as people keep reading!

QUESTION:  I really enjoy your books and I have read them more than once! I wonder if you have trouble remembering some of the characters? I like the way you make us believe I second chances!!! 

ANSWER: Thanks so much! Yes - I definitely have trouble remembering some of the characters. To help with that, I have a Character Bible for each book with the names of the characters, who they are, as well as names of the places where the events in that book take place. It's a great reference guide, and after eighteen books, it certainly comes in handy!! 

QUESTION:  Do you sometimes introduce a character with the intention of them making regular appearances, then decide you don't like them?  How far ahead do you plan the storyline? Do you know what is going to happen 2 or 3 books after the current one? 

ANSWER: I am an intuitive writer, so I never know what my characters are going to be like until I start writing the book. For instance - I didn't know Jackie (Uncle Joey's secretary) would end up being his wife until it actually happened in the book. I'm always excited to see a character in a past book show up in a present book, but I never plan that. Take Forrest Slater - he showed up in Ties That Bind - and then because of Shelby's predicament, he was needed in Presumed Dead. Also - if I don't like a character, it's usually because I'm planning to kill them off! Lol! Now you know the answer to planning the storyline ahead of time...which is not if I can help it. One reason for that is because if I know too much, then I'm not as excited to write it.

QUESTION:  Was Shelby created based on yourself, someone else you know (or parts of them) or entirely made up? 

ANSWER: I always imagine myself as Shelby and some of her background is similar to mine. I wrote the first book, CARROTS, because I'd gone to the grocery store for carrots and I overheard the lady at the cash register talking about a robbery that had happened the week before. It made me wonder what I would have done if I'd been there when it happened. So I started writing the story without knowing anything else. I didn't know Shelby would get the ability to read minds until I wrote about it - so that was a fun discovery! After that, it opened so many possibilities, that I haven't stopped yet!

QUESTION: If the Shelby series was made into a tv series or movies, who would be your ideal actors to play the main characters or even minor if some come to mind? 

ANSWER: This is really exciting because PRESUMED DEAD has just been optioned for a feature film! I don't have any say in who plays what character, but I've had some ideas through the years. Since book one came out, most of the actors are now a little too old for the parts, but I always thought Reese Witherspoon would make a great Shelby. My favorite to play Uncle Joey might surprise you, but I think Jon Bon Jovi would be awesome! lol! He is Italian after-all! hehehe. I loved Alex O'Loughlin as Chris a few years ago as well. And if you ask me, there's just no one hot enough to be Ramos...in my mind. But the producer for the movie said she'd find the perfect person - so I can't wait to see who it is!!

QUESTION:  Roughly how many hours per day do you spend on writing? Do you have set hours or depend on work or family commitments or if release soon? Part or full time? Do you spending certain amount of hours thinking/planning and other on writing? 

ANSWER: I usually spend all afternoon in my office writing or doing the other things that come with running my own business. I try to write everyday, and if I'm not writing, I'm thinking about the book and what could happen next. I keep a notebook by my bed, so I can write down my ideas during the night. Usually, if I can't sleep, it's because I'm thinking about a plot line! Since I am my own boss, it helps that I am highly motivated (Achiever is #5 in my Clifton Strengths), so that keeps me going and it is sometimes hard to take time off. But now I realize that even if I'm not writing, I am still figuring things out -  AND, as always - I wish I could write faster! It also matters to me that I put out a great book that I can feel good about - so that can take time as well.