Simply put, I write the novels that I want to read.  Mystery and suspense with main characters  that inspire, who have senses of humor that make me laugh and are good at heart, likeable, and heroines who are smart enough not to get themselves into situations that result in near death experiences every fifth page or so; stories that wrap up neatly without requiring a sequel to complete; endings that first give me a chance to see some of the “happily ever after” the characters have earned, and which leave me feeling encouraged and better for having read the book;  good, clean romance that doesn’t leave me wishing some kind soul will hurry up and invent scouring pads for the mind, because I so did not want to know that, and really would like to forget it; romance between characters who value each other enough to plow through misunderstandings as soon as they crop up, rather than split up, only to threaten off and on to get back together over the course of the next ten to twenty books, without ever actually getting to the source of the problem and fixing it so they can move on–sorry, getting off on a tangent there.  I feel rather passionate about that one and find the idea that romance equals tragedy and separation downright annoying.  Real romance equals fighting through misunderstandings, working together, supporting one another, and ultimately marriage, which makes romance complete rather than over.  That’s the kind of romance I want to read about, so that’s what I write.

I also write, drink a lot of lattes, stay up late and get up early, because once characters get their names and their stories begin there is no “pause” option, and I don’t want to miss a thing.

Speaking of which, I’ve got some characters wanting to get back to telling their unfinished story, so… as always, happy reading, and now I’m going to go make another latte and then get back to writing!