Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I didn't start writing until I was fifty years old, now I have several manuscripts I'm hoping to publish over the next few years. My first published book, Dancing Backward in Paradise, won the Eric Hoffer Award in 2007 for excellence in independent publishing  and was an Indie Excellence finalist in fiction, also in 2007. I live in New York City and I work in Education Publishing but I hope to one day move upstate and write novels for a living. At my side is my partner of eighteen years, my little Chihuahua mix, Roxie, and my two half Siamese cats, Sassy and Sweetie Pie.

Describe your book ‘Dancing Backward in Paradise’ in 30 words or less.

Dancing Backward in Paradise is gritty, eccentric, funny and moving. My heroine, Grace, grows up between its pages and this naive teenager, from the deep south, learns about life in 1960s New York City. The characters around her are as colorful as a field of wildflowers and are sure to make you smile.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The hardest part of writing this book was stringing the plot. It's a complicated plot and I didn't know when I started out where I was going with it. It's written in first person so I just sat back and let Grace tell her story. Plots are hard to come by, but once you get, as a writer, where you're taking it, the rest is easy. 

What books have had the greatest influence on you?

I have to say that The Story of Edgar Sawtelle really moved me. It was a beautiful story. But I appreciate writers who tell a good story beautifully. I like the writing of Anita Shreeve, Wally Lamb, Caleb Carr, and so many others. As a teenager I was heavily influenced by Victorian poetry, and books like The Last of Cheri, The Well of Loneliness and The Picture of Dorian Grey. I like description with my stories, words that unite us as human beings, language that flows forth and touches deeply.

Briefly share with us what you do to market your book?

 Marketing is the most difficult part of writing. I wish it weren't but it is. It takes money, lots of money and I try to do as much as I can. I market online and push my website as much as my title. I buy traffic, get my name out to social networking sites, do email campaigns, blog, try to advertise to libraries and to reviewers. Right now, my kindle sales are greater than my book sales. Book sales seem to ebb and flow and I'm not even sure where I get the most bang for my buck.

How do you spend your time when you are not writing?

 When I'm not writing I like to go upstate to the mountains and just be in nature. I like walks, working out, cooking, wine, other people's books. In the city I like to take advantage of the theater and the museums. Being with friends is great and just being home is wonderful.

What are you working on next?

My next published book is about a seventy old woman and an old love, an old crime that comes back to her in ways she never would have imagined, and reveals all the forces working in her life, all of which she was never aware. In the end, you're never too old to heal.