Heather: No problem - I always have time to talk to other people who love reading!

Joey: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, outside of being a writer? I know that's asking a lot! Most writers are pretty busy.

Heather: My life outside writing tends to go in fits and spurts. I have times where I work crazy hours and forget to shop and only remember to feed the dogs because my little one drags her bowl across the floor. Then I have other times, usually in between books, where I try not to write at all. I need to keep things fresh, you know? So, beyond writing, what I love to do most is travel and photograph interesting landscapes. I try to do at least one trip a year to an exotic location, but sometimes a road trip to the state next door is enough to satisfy the travel bug in me. Closer to home, I like to spend a lot of time in the garden. I have a rose garden with sixty plants and growing, and these take a lot of time and energy. The remainder of my time is split between trying to have a social life and feeding my "Law and Order" addiction.

Joey: Growing up with two writers for parents, did you always write? What made you finally decide to do it full-time? And why romantic suspense?

Heather: I actually never had a journal or a diary, but I was constantly creating long and involved storylines in my head. I’d refine one over months, thinking about it in the dentist’s chair, before I fell asleep, in class during my school days. I decided to write full time when I realized that I just wasn’t cut out to work in the corporate world, or to have anyone be my boss but me. So I was looking for a way out, because in the back of my mind I had the little statistic about how few authors support themselves solely by writing, and how long it takes to be able to pay the bills. So I was toying with story ideas, but still going to work in a cubicle every day. I never had the energy to crank out the pages on my weekends - too busy running around after dry cleaning and such. Then I was laid off, and suddenly I had plenty of time and a severance package to ease the transition. I decided it was time to get to it and see if I could make a living writing, because I’d never have another chance to focus on it.

When I decided to write full time, romantic suspense was the obvious choice. It’s always been my favorite genre, hands down, probably because of the strong characters and fast pace.

Joey: How do you juggle writing with the rest of life? Do you find yourself always making up stories in your head no matter what else you are supposed to be doing?

Heather: Pretty much. The story lines in my head are always there, but they’re less involved and demanding since I started writing. And I do admit to having a tough time juggling the writing with other demanding things - the gardens, family, remodeling, etc. I try to sit down and do the writing first thing in the day - make it my priority. And if I don’t get my pages done, I don’t get to do anything else.

Joey: So ... Detective Sean! (Whoo ... excuse me, I was just fanning myself.) He is what I call a serious man's man. Based on anyone you know? Actually, how do you get inside a 'guy' like that and make him seem like a guy you'd meet on the street except more?

Heather: All I can say to answer these questions is that I have a *very* vivid imagination. After all, I do write fiction! No one I write about is based on people I know because that just strikes me as odd. Maybe it’s better to say that each of my characters - male or female - is an amalgamation of qualities I admire or would like to find in the people I know.

Joey: I also loved your twist on the amnesia plot device. It's something that's been done before, but you made it your own. Was it inspiration that struck suddenly or did you work and re-work it in your mind?

Heather: It was a lightning "A-ha!" moment, pure and simple. I knew immediately what I wanted to do. I always thought it was kind of convenient when amnesiacs suddenly began to remember things at just the right moment, and knew from my research that most people never get their memories back after a traumatic accident. I was injured in a car accident and I remember every last detail as if it were yesterday, so I wanted to toy with the idea of trying to get the information and drawing a blank. So I made it a plot tool, but still tried to stay true to reality. In fact, Claire never gets her memories of that night back in any meaningful way, no matter how convenient it would have been.

Joey: Okay! I know you have a new book that just came out - NO ESCAPE. Tell us all about it. (By the time most of you see this, I will already own and have probably read the book, which hits shelves July 27th!)

Heather: Well, you can read the back cover copy to get the plot summary, so I’ll just say that NO ESCAPE is about a female junior prosecutor who is trying to find meaning in her life and career. So she buries herself in the first important case she has ever had - a young girl who accuses a famous athlete of date rape. Even after it becomes clear that people would be much happier if she dropped the whole thing, Tessa keeps pushing for answers. She realizes that she needs help to get into the underworld the young victim has disappeared into, so she contacts a private detective to help. And Luke Novak develops a healthy interest in both Tessa and her case!

Joey: Future plans? New books we can look forward to? Do you have an idea where you want to go with your writing long-term?

Heather: I’m working on my third book, which doesn’t have a title yet at this point. I will continue with the romantic suspense, single title release thing at least through my next contract - two more books. After that, who knows? I don’t think I will get tired of the genre, but I’d like to push things a little bit, maybe with more international stories or settings outside of urban America. In fact, my current book takes place in small town Wyoming, and I’m definitely having fun with that.

Joey: I always like to ask if you have any advice for new, struggling, or not-yet published writers.

Heather: All I can say is, the book in your head will never write itself. You have to just sit down and do it, no matter how self-conscious you are of the product. You can fix anything but a blank page.