Writers are, almost without exception, readers. That stands to reason. That doesn't mean we like everything we pick up to read. The story goes that James Fenimore Cooper was reading a novel he considered bad, and he complained aloud to his wife. She said if he didn't like what he was reading, maybe he should write a book himself. Hence, a bunch of novels known as classics (although I had plenty of students who didn't like them.)

There are tons of ways to write a good novel, but for today, I'm...

The book I'm working on is a traditional mystery (no surprise there), and I like the premise: A woman wakes from a coma and learns that her cop husband was killed while she was unconscious. Through a series of scares, she learns that his death was not what it seemed at the time, and she becomes determined to find out the truth. As in every mystery you've ever read, that desire for truth leads to trouble.

I like writing mysteries with unusual protagonists, as you might know if you've read my...

My husband has a gift. I'm not sure what to call it; it's part curiosity, part smarts, and part self-confidence. If that sounds confusing, here's an example.

Our daughter bought a row house in Richmond, Virginia, and of course we motored down to see it. As she showed us the unique setup, rooms set one after another in a space 90' x 20', she mentioned that most of the houses on the block had pocket doors between the front parlor and the second. She was slightly disappointed that hers had a...