Today is the day I’ve been waiting for since last March, when I first turned in the revised manuscript for NOTORIOUS. Today is the day I’ve been waiting for since two years ago, when I signed the contract for my first hardcover thriller. Today is the day I’ve been waiting for since 2006, when my first book THE PREY hit the shelves in mass market paperback, and I dreamed of one day being in hardcover. NOTORIOUS is here.

Left Coast Crime is fast becoming one of my favorite conferences, for three primary reasons: 1. Location. It’s on the “left” half of the country and much easier for me to travel to. Two years ago it was in Sacramento! This year … Monterey, a three hour drive. Much easier (and cheaper) than spending a day flying cross-country. 2. Intimacy. LCC is neither large nor small, it’s just right. I have the opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. 3. Readers. LCC is one of the few conferences that still is largely filled with reader —… Read More

I have a confession. Whenever a new show is a huge hit out of the gate, I don’t watch it. I don’t know why, I think I get overwhelmed by the hype. I figure if it’s really that good, I’ll get it on DVD. You know the problem with drawing lines in the sand? With a breath of air, they disappear. You may not like me. You may not understand how or why I do what I do. But I’m here because you want answers to questions you haven’t even thought of yet. ~ Red I had a problem with… Read More

Like most writers, I hate my writing process. But, also like most writers, it’s my process and I can’t change it. Before I got serious about writing, I happily wrote “sloppy copy,” the first draft all the way through. Yes, there were lots of errors and I did a lot of revising and editing and cutting and adding. But since I love revising, this wasn’t a problem. The hard part was done — getting the story down from beginning to end. Everything can be fixed. But somewhere along the way, this changed.

In two weeks NOTORIOUS will be available. March 25 is the big day. I am very excited and nervous and scared. Most of you who read my blog know about my history. I have 21 mass market originals, numerous short stories and novellas, and 2 original indie novellas. But NOTORIOUS is my first hardcover. Everything has been different. Even the writing.

This weekend I was one of 45 authors to participate in the Sacramento Library Foundation’s “Authors on the Move” fundraising event. They raised over $110,000 toward their summer reading program for children’s literacy. This marked the third time I’ve been invited to the event, and each time I’ve enjoyed the festivities. Patrons pay $200 each to have a wonderful 4-course dinner with 3 authors — authors rotate between courses. With 8 people at the table, we have the opportunity to answer any questions they might ask about our book or writing. It’s truly fun, though by the end of the… Read More

I love speaking to kids. They’re usually attentive, interested, and full of questions. So when the opportunity arose to speak during Writer’s Week at my old alma mater, Menlo School, I jumped. Menlo School is a college prep high school (with a middle school for grades 6-8) and honestly, one of the best schools I’ve seen. What I learned there in four years was certainly college prep–I read books that most people read in college, I was pushed to perform at an advanced level. All classes were, essentially, AP classes. They didn’t have any separate AP or honors classes, and… Read More

This is short and not-so-sweet today … because I want to make sure you read Piper Bayard’s fabulous post about her spy! 😉 But I need to just get this out there … ALMOST HUMAN. I really like this show and while there’s a few little problems (some of the dialogue pacing is off), it’s original and fun and I love the actors and the setting. My boys, 13 and 10, love this show and we watch it together. The season finale aired Monday (no spoilers! It was a short 13 episode season, but we haven’t seen the finale yet)… Read More

I was an only child. Wherever my mom went, so did I. My grandparents took me camping often in their trailer, and my grandpa had a cabin in Woodside where I spent many, many weekends either with him and my grandma or with my cousin, Matt. When it was just Dan, me and Katie, travel was relatively easy. Sure, we needed extra clothes, and diapers, and bottles, and a host of other baby supplies, but once we got used to having a third, travel wasn’t all that difficult. Even when Kelly came, it was manageable. Two parents, two kids. Easy,… Read More

Look what came in the mail yesterday! The very first copy of NOTORIOUS, in hardcover. To say I’m excited is an understatement. I am THRILLED. It’s as exciting as when I got my very first book in the mail, THE PREY, back in the end of 2005. It’s very pretty 🙂