Barbara: I'm an avid tennis player. Actually, I took about ten years off from the sport while I was having children and getting the writing career going, but I've gotten back into it and am loving the exercise that comes without having to run on a treadmill. Plus, I love the social aspect. And I get lots of story ideas. My other spare time activites all involve my two kids who have quite a few games and other events going on every weekend. If I do have a few minutes free, I love to read. I was a big reader as a kid and I still read as much as I write.

Joey: How did you first start writing?

Barbara: I think I was writing even when I was a kid, although it was more making up stories in my head to play out. But officially, I got a degree in Communication Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara and embarked on a career in public relations, which involved the writing of numerous collateral materials like news releases, newsletters, brochures, articles, etc. Although it was supposed to be non-fiction, I was writing about semi-conductors and widgets that I knew nothing about, so I figured if I could write about that stuff, I could write about anything. I had always wanted to write a book, and after I got married I kept telling my husband that's what I was going to do. He encouraged me to give it a shot, and I did, sitting down to write a short romance which I was very familiar with. The book, several versions later, sold to Silhouette Romance.

Joey: Did you always know you wanted to write romance? Were there any specific authors who influenced you?

Barbara: My mother influenced me the most. She read tons of romances. They were all over the house when I was growing up. I think we had every Georgette Heyer and Barbara Cartland ever written, and she probably thought those were the most appropriate with a teenage daughter in the house. But that's where I started, moving on to the shorter category romances after that. My mom also tried her hand at writing a romance and got some good feedback. She never actually sold, but it was an interest that got me thinking about the possibilities.

Joey: There's a fine line between what's considered "women's fiction" and "romance." Your writing is often called both. What do you consider the differences to be? When you think of yourself as a writer, in which genre do you think you fit?

Barbara: I think my books are very romantic but offer a little bit more in terms of other complicated relationships. I like writing about couples who are falling in love in the middle of other problems and other relationships. I don't think anyone is an island, and we're influenced by our relationships with friends, siblings, parents, coworkers, etc. I think women's fiction will often explore these other relationships in addition to the romance. But I believe in a strong love story, and I always have that, which may be why my books sometimes straddle the line. But I hope people who love romance, but also love the other stories, will check out my books.

Joey: Along those same lines, how do you see your future in writing? Do you have any plans to try different story types or genres?

Barbara: No plans at the moment. But I think my writing is always evolving and different subjects interest me at different times. As I said, I'm leaning towards bigger stories. My next book involves three sisters and an old mystery, so there is a lot going on in addition to two really fun romances.

Joey: You write a lot about strong women, in small towns, overcoming major obstacles at the time of their story. But other than that, they are very real people. Someone a female reader could know or be. Do you know what draws you to these characters? Are they completely made up or do you get inspiration from somewhere?

Barbara: I really like writing about real people. I don't always do small towns. I've done San Francisco and Los Angeles and other big cities, but whatever the setting, I think I tend to focus on people you recognize - ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations. Sometimes the small town setting is fun, because it allows me to create a world that we all want to visit. My inspiration comes from every part of life, moments that make you stop and say that's interesting, or that person's a real character. But my characters are never based on one person. They're always a mixture of good and bad, people I know, people I make up. I have a very good imagination!

Joey: There are also strong themes of farming and ranching in your novels. I think of the apple orchard in LOVE WILL FIND A WAY and the horses in ALMOST HOME. Is this a part of your history? Or your present?

Barbara: Race horses are in my background. My family has owned many thoroughbreds over the years, but I've never actually lived on a farm or a ranch. That's all research. And those are just two backgrounds. ALMOST HOME isn't really about ranching; it's about a woman who sets out to find her biological father and in the process discovers her mother is not who she thought she was. It just happens to be set against the Kentucky Derby and the people who train and breed horses, because the story is about bloodlines, so the background hopefully enhances the theme of the story. SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL is set in San Francisco where two people discover a baby in the hallway between their apartments. This is an urban story about strangers who have a hard time connecting until a small baby forces them to confront the lifestyles they thought they were happy with. I really try to change the settings and themes of my books to keep them interesting both to me and to my readers.

Joey: Let's talk about your latest book, LOVE WILL FIND A WAY. (I just finished it myself and LOVED it). For everyone else, can you give us a little "blurb" to convince them why they have to read this book?

Barbara: LOVE WILL FIND A WAY is about a woman who is forced to question every thing she believed in when her husband's death is listed as a possible suicide. She has to confront the reality of her marriage - what was it, who were they, was happiness an illusion? Or was it the truth? The deeper message in the book is about people who've been married for awhile, who've settled into a groove, who think they know everything about each other, but do they really? Or do we all have secrets? I remember while I was writing this book that I was listening to the Billy Joel song about "The Stranger" - how we all have faces that we never show to anyone else, maybe not even to ourselves. LOVE WILL FIND A WAY explores these ideas. And the heroine is forced to ask for help from her husband's best friend, a man with whom she shared a reckless kiss many years ago. So their romance has history and depth and joy and pain, because they both loved the man who is gone, but now they have to wonder if they're meant to be together or meant to be apart. Does the hero of this story really want to be someone's second love? And can the heroine really love another man? I'm really better at writing the whole book than writing a short summary, so I hope readers will check it out.

Joey: What are you working on now? When is your next book out? (How long do I have to wait!?!?!)

Barbara: I'm in the process of changing publishers, so unfortunately there will be a longer gap between books. I just turned in a book that will be published in May of 2003; the title is still up for grabs, but I'll be posting more about it on my web site. This is the story of three sisters, set in the Pacific Northwest, against the background of ocean sailboat racing. There is an old mystery, lots of secrets that involve both murder and secret babies. I think it's a really fun story that will hopefully be a page turner, as there are lots of tantalizing clues that reveal themselves through the story as to the secrets of the past. My new publisher will be NAL, a division of Penguin Putnam.

Joey: Okay, now something a little different. I've heard romance writers/publishers credited with being the first in the business to take advantage of the Internet. How have you used this newer tool and has it changed your writing (or anything related to your writing)?

Barbara: The Internet is fabulous for research. I can't believe when I first started writing in 1988 there was no Internet. When my first books were published, there were no bestseller lists on-line, no access to readers or interviews like this. It's a great tool for both research and self-promotion. I have a web site and have an email newsletter that updates readers on what I'm doing. It's great to be able to keep in touch with readers, to get their comments and input so quickly. I love it. I'm part of several author email loops as well, so support and brainstorming are always just a click away.

Joey: I know you run a contest almost every month on your website. Do you want to promote your latest? And any other changes you may have made lately?

Barbara: I run a contest every month. Check out my website to see what the prize is. It's always changing! And I'm hoping to put together a new website look very soon.

Thanks for having me, Joey. Loved chatting with you!