Lifted from Charli:

What’s the last thing you wrote? — As in finished? Dark Prey—a paranormal novella.

Was it any good? — Well, the editor to whom I subbed it hasn’t broken a leg getting to the phone…anytime in the last four months, but Mandy liked it.

What’s the first thing you ever wrote that you still have? — The word MOM on a scrap of paper. I’m a pack rate so I’ve got everything I wrote.

Write poetry? — Only limericks and shoe-related Clement Moore rip-offs.

Angsty poetry? — Umm…I guess that depends on the reader’s sense of humor.

Favourite genre of writing? — Seven subgenres in nine books? Wrong person to ask. Sometimes it depends on my mood and what’s going on my life. Comedy of varying degrees is a constant. But the books that really excite me the most when I’m in the process are the DG books, so action/adventure?

Most fun character you ever wrote? — Oh, come on. This is painful. Zack Roberts from In the Spirit.

Most annoying character you ever wrote? — Huh. They all annoy me greatly at some point. I’d have to say Carmen from DG3, which I’m in the process of writing. She and I are probably polar opposites on any and all issues, and I have trouble getting in her head.

How often do you get writer’s block? — By my definition, not very often. I do battle lack of discipline almost every day, and some days I lose, but that’s not writer’s block. True writer’s block is almost always resolved for me by changing the POV character for the scene. Strange, but true (for me).

How do you fix it? — Change the POV character.

Write fan fiction? — No.

Do you type or write by hand? — Both, but the writing comes out stronger if I’m writing by hand.

Do you save everything you write? — Most of it.

Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it? — Definitely, although the new version might get drastically changed from the original. We, as people, change every day, so we bring a different writer to the work every day. If you’ve been away from an idea for a while, the difference will be that much greater.

What’s your favourite thing that you’ve written? — Aha! A British person started this meme. My favorite thing… Wow, that’s an unfair question. That I’ve published? 72 Hours. That I haven’t? The secret project book of my heart.

What’s everyone else’s favourite thing that you’ve written? — Judging by the email, the Devlin Group books.

What’s your favourite setting for your characters? — I suck at settings, and really combat the talking heads syndrome. I don’t really have a favorite setting.

What’s one genre you have never written, and probably never will? — Inspirational.

How many writing projects are you working on right now? — Sorry, I had to stop and laugh. I’m in a monogamous relationship with DG3 until it’s done, but I have probably a half-dozen things I’ve been and will be working on.

Do you want to write for a living? — While I don’t “make a living”, writing is what I do. I married an electrician for a living.

Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper? — Not that I remember.

Have you ever won an award for your writing? — I’ve been a bridesmaid several times, but not yet a bride.

Ever written something in script or play format? — Years ago I tried a screenplay, but it was bad. Truly bad. One would think, considering the talking head syndrome, I’d be better at it. Gave it up about forty minutes into the movie.

What are your five favourite words? — You’re the best mom ever.

What character that you’ve written most resembles yourself? —Gena Taylor in Forever Again. Not the secret baby thing or really any other plot points, but generally just her and the town and stuff.

Where do you get ideas for your other characters? — That makes it sound as though the idea for the character in the previous character came from me. That’s not the case—she’s just the most like me. The characters just come. I don’t know.

Do you ever write based on your dreams? — No, and I’m very perplexed by the people who do.

Do you favour happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers? — I want my happily ever after. The only time I’ll accept an unresolved ending is in the case of an ongoing series, like the In Death or Plum series.

Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write? — It’s fairly automatic. I might have to think about it if I’m pondering how to offset in a sentence, like whether to use commas or em dashes, but I don’t really think about it otherwise.

Does music help you write? — Music will help trigger the tone I’m looking for. I use it mostly when I’m working things out in my head while housecleaning. When I’m getting ready to write an action scene for DG3, for instance, I’ll listen to Disturbed, Nickelback and such. Sometimes, if there’s a lot going on around me, I’ll listen to the Transformers score to drown it out.

Quote something you’ve written. The first thing to pop into your mind. — Why don’t you just leave me alone—go shit on somebody’s windshield or something. — from Kiss Me Deadly. (Whenever I think of lines from my books, this one always comes to mind first. Probably because it’s such an odd thing for the heroine to say to the hero.)