FAQ's

Q: Was it difficult to think of ideas for the episodes?
A: Not really. I’m addicted to home improvement television, so many of the episodes in the book were inspired by things I had seen…frequently my evil imagination would jump in while I was watching a show and say “I wonder what would happen if THIS went wrong right here?” and this book allowed me to indulge those ‘what if’ fantasies.

Q: This book focuses more time on the main character’s relationships with her friends and colleagues, and less on romance, and yet, there are still strong romantic elements. What sort of balance do you look for when you are writing?
A: I like to continue to explore human relationships.  My first book, was completely about romance, trying to capture the feeling we get when we are mired in a complicated relationship.  In my second book I was looking at many different styles of relationships, some romantic and some platonic.  But with this book, I really wanted romance and love to be secondary to the issues of building good working relationships and maintaining friendships.

Q: In your other work, there are very strong images of close families. In this one, your heroine has strained relationships with her parents. Why the sudden shift?
A: Luckily for me, I have the best relationship with my family, and I wanted in my early work to acknowledge that. But I think in order to understand this character and her behavior, there needed to be some key family history supporting who she has become, otherwise it wouldn’t feel real.

Q: INAPPROPRIATE MEN dealt frankly with some of the issues of being a plus-sized woman. In SLEEPING OVER three of your five heroines are bigger girls, but you don’t really discuss it, it becomes a non-issue. In this book, Lily is a size 12/14, so more average. Do you feel a particular responsibility to represent larger women, and if so, why not hit the issue head on?
A: As a plus-sized woman, I do feel a responsibility to show positive images of bigger women in my writing. But I feel an equal responsibility to let those women focus on whatever aspect of their character fits their lives. I like the idea of acknowledging size as one attribute of a character and then letting it go.