Table of Contents

  1. When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?

  2. What early experiences influenced you?

  3. What happened in the years before you began writing?

  4. How did you find time to write books, while raising your four children and holding a job?

  5. What made you turn to the subject matter of Dark Roots?

  6. Are you excited about the publication of your book?

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?

Even though I have a degree in English, it never really occurred to me to be a writer until about 10 years ago.  My mother was very ill and bedridden, so I began to write little romantic stories for her to keep her in a positive mood.  I'd sit by her bedside each day and read her the latest little story I had written for her the night before.  One day as I was reading, she interrupted me and said "you're going to make me proud when you become a great writer one day."  The idea was born.

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What early experiences influenced you?

I love books.  As a kid, I always had headaches from reading so much. I wouldn't begin my homework until I read a complete Harlequin Romance!    As I got older, I would spend 4-5 hours every Saturday at the public library reading any and everything I could.

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What happened in the years before you began writing?

I graduated from Stanford University with a degree in English, and had absolutely no idea what to do with it!  I wasn't ready at the time to be an editor or anything like that, so I found myself falling into

international marketing in Silicon Valley.  I spent the next 15 years traveling worldwide and marketing and developing computers for a variety of high tech companies. I really enjoyed it, but it was so far from those days as a book-a-day reader when I was a child.  I did use my English degree though.  I got my teaching credential and taught English as a Second Language for two years to immigrants in Northern California. Now that was rewarding!

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How did you find time to write books, while raising your four children and holding a job?

I have to admit, it wasn't easy.  It wasn't until Silicon Valley took a turn and I found myself after more than a dozen years going through my first ever layoff that I found it possible.  But I was actually excited about it.  While my fellow peers and coworkers were sad about losing their jobs, I was thrilled!  I thought I could finally stay home and spend hours each day writing!  And that's what I did.  I'd put the kids to bed, and write

from about 11:00 at night to 4:00 in the morning.  It was wonderful!

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What made you turn to the subject matter of Dark Roots?

I would watch Roots and other race relation movies in the 70's and 80's and be appalled at what had happened.  And like many African Americans, we want to forget slavery, but at the same time we wonder if we could have survived like our ancestors under such heinous conditions.  I went one step further, and wondered if I could survive, as a professional now knowing what I know.  The Amber Brooks character was born.

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