Author Archives

Whenever I feel blocked, I go for a walk. There’s something about feeling my feet on the ground, listening to the birds sing and looking at the trees that inspires me. I always think of a great line or idea for a plot while I’m

When I dream, my subconscious mind is creating stories from various random things, people and events that have been thrown my way in my waking life.  The stories are sometimes funny and sometimes scary and always weird and nonsensical.  My

The theme of transcendence is explored within my novels as I am very passionate about this subject. I believe it is possible to live in the world while occasionally being able to rise above it, and that this is essential for one’s

Readers will not be able to suspend disbelief if dialogue is not believable. Dialogue must flow naturally from the mouths of the characters and must be in keeping with the qualities, characteristics and motivations of characters. The Grecos are

Following the rules of writing effective opening scenes is vital so that readers will be able to suspend disbelief.  Readers must be grounded in the protagonist’s point of view in the beginning of a story.  They must see the world through

Music is a theme in both of my previous novels and will be a major theme in my forthcoming novel. In Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees, Silvia listens to music while she paints. Music inspires her:  “The music seemed to go right

I wrote my first story when I was ten years old.  It was called The Magic Pen. This story was about a pen, that when used, created stories and poetry without the use of any human input as if a sacred power came through the ink of the pen. I

I write fiction for many reasons. It’s fun; it gives me joy; it makes me sane; I feel a need to tell stories to the world. I also write so that I can learn life’s lessons. In Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees, Silvia learns

What do the novels The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Canterbury Tales and On The Road have in common?  All of these great works of fiction employ the literary technique known as the journey motif.  The journey that the characters of these

Portland is the destination of the journey and so it is the last stop along the way. Situated near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, Portland has several bridges and is also known as the “City of Bridges.”