That is why I want to again say, thank you for making every single page relevant and enjoyable.

I really appreciate the “Baby Jane Doe” story since I just turned 45. It is nice to know an older woman can still “have it”!…

Thanks again for many hours of pleasure.” -- Julie, August 2007 e-mail, re Taylor Clan/Precinct books

Absolutely the best promotional advice I've received over the years (and I try to live by it) is to write the very best book you can write. A great story told with a unique personal voice will generate sales through word of mouth so that new readers will check you out. And, writing a great story will keep loyal readers coming back for more. Beyond that, I've tried several things--some work better for me than others in terms of time, budget and skill demands vs. the rewards. In this electronic day in age, I think having a website is a must--and updating it on a regular basis is also a must. It's probably the easiest way to get information about me and my books out there. Basically, promotion is all about communication--meeting readers and potential readers. So I participate in group websites (Intrigue Authors, Blaze Authors). I frequent favorite sites and boards (eHarlequin.com, Cataromance.com, RomanticTimes.com), which can be a fun break for me as well. I take part in blogs (my own on eHarlequin, Intrigue Authors blog, guesting on other blogs such as Pink Hearts or Sherry James' blog). I do chats on NovelTalk and eHarlequin. I present workshops at local, regional and national conferences. I do booksignings (those give me a chance to meet readers, but, just as importantly, give me the chance to develop relationships with booksellers and librarians who will, in turn, promote my books). I'll write an occasional newsletter article. And I hold seasonal book giveaway contests--sometimes I give away a current book, sometimes the prize is a backlist title that's hard to get. Every effort is a way to connect with readers--to draw them in and reward them with a great read!

How much research do you do for your books?

I don't sit down and do research per se. But I'm somebody who likes to learn new things every day--so I read, I travel, I listen to people who have interesting jobs, I attend workshops and classes, etc. I internalize all kinds of information (I'm pretty darned good at Trivial Pursuit <g>) and then draw from that when I'm putting together story ideas, creating characters and writing books. I've had a variety of jobs over the years that have put me in contact with experts in many different fields--and those friendships and acquaintances have remained valuable contacts to consult when I need info from a Marine or attorney or trauma nurse or undercover detective or DEA agent, etc. for a story. I'm much more likely to stop and look up or verify a detail as I'm writing than I am to look up information before I start a book (that'd feel too much like writing a research paper!--and I did plenty of those in college <g>).

K.C. is old stomping ground territory for me. I used to live in the Kansas City area. My parents grew up there and I still have lots of family there, so I visit often. It’s not just following that old adage about “write what you know,” though that firsthand knowledge certainly gives my Precinct books an authentic feel, I think. I just love the look and feel of Kansas City. It’s a metropolitan mecca with all the history, neighborhoods, culture, opportunities and cross-section of life that any other big city has. Yet as modern as it can be, K.C. still has that laid-back, Midwestern feel that really seems to suit my tastes and my writing voice. There is an endless variety of stories to tell there, numerous settings I can draw from. Even though I’m writing fiction, the characters and stories feel more real to me.

While I've never served in the military myself (asthma tends to keep one from passing the physical), I come from a military family. My dad is a veteran Marine, as are my uncle and younger brother. My younger brother left the Corps after Desert Storm, but was recruited by the Army in recent years to help train new recruits and reservists in some of the intricacies of Middle Eastern weaponry and engineering. His unit has been in Iraq, and is scheduled for redeployment to another location in 2008. Needless to say, I'm proud of my family and my country, and have learned a lot about the military through their experiences and character. They answer my questions and don't blush too much when I paint the heroes based in part on them in such a loving, heroic light. I pray for them and for all the military and their families every day.