| Q: |
One
of your recent novels, DEADLY RESCUE, focuses on a woman
who lost her husband in the Oklahoma City bombing and
how she rebuilt her life. Why did you choose to have your
character tied to such a tragedy? |
| A: |
I
was three pages into DEADLY RESCUE when I learned
of the bombing. I think it touched every person in a different
way, especially Oklahomans. That day, as I watched the
news in horror, the entire plot of this book changed.
I felt the need to show that human spirit not only survives,
but learns from tragedy to cherish every single
day.
JL |
| Q: |
This
is your third "Deadly" book. Are they all related? |
| A: |
Actually,
the titles of all my suspense books will begin with "Deadly"
to help make them easier for readers to remember. So far,
they're all stand-alone books, each with its own unique
story and characters. Someday soon, I hope to be able
to write a sequel.
JL |
| Q: |
Tell
us more about DEADLY RESCUE. |
| A: |
In
this book, RESCUE is actually the name of a company that's
trying to develop environmentally safe alternative energy
sources. When the heroine lands her first job as a geologist
at RESCUE, she soon realizes that the cost of her dream
job may just be her life.
JL |
| Q: |
Your
first two books were both set in Oklahoma. Where does
DEADLY RESCUE take place? |
| A: |
DEADLY
RESCUE races from the corporate headquarters in California
to a drilling site in Western Oklahoma. Researching new
locations is part of the fun of writing, but I love to
set my stories close to home.
JL |
| Q: |
Your
books come alive because you include intricate details.
How do you research your books? |
| A: |
I'm
an avid reader, so my first choice is always the library.
Next stop is a few hours surfing the Internet, which is
a wonderful source of information on almost any topic.
I also love to interview people knowledgeable in the field
I'm researching. In DEADLY RESCUE, a local geologist,
John Heinsius, made the book come to life with his insight
and resourceful ideas.
JL |
| Q: |
You
started writing in 1992 and now have four books in print.
Can you tell us how you've achieved your goals? |
| A: |
I
truly believe that anyone who works hard can achieve whatever
they desire. Working my way up the corporate ladder as
a CPA was very demanding, yet it gave me the confidence
to try something new. Hard work is still the key to success
- sometimes it opens new doors in totally unexpected places.
JL |
| Q: |
I
see you do volunteer work. What organizations do you work
with? |
| A: |
I'm
an avid supporter of the Tulsa City County Library system;
the American Lung Association; and the Jenks Soccer Club.
Tulsa's wonderful librarians have helped me attain my
writing success by making research a breeze. I've had
asthma my entire life, so I can really relate to people
who have trouble breathing. Since I love to run, I can
help newly diagnosed asthmatics who feel their lives will
be restricted forever. I'm living, breathing proof
that with proper medical care and exercise, they can still
do whatever they dream! My toughest job lately has been
coaching my daughter's under-14 girls soccer team. Keeping
those teenager's attention on soccer is much harder than
writing a 400 page novel!
JL |
| Q: |
With
a background as a CPA, what inspired you to make the giant
leap to writing suspense? |
| A: |
Shortly
after my children started school, it became apparent that
I needed to spend more time with them than my accounting
career would allow. Having always devoted most of my creative
energy to my job, I knew I had to do something productive
in the hours that they were in school, so I sat down at
my computer one day and started a novel. I chose suspense
because that's what I love to read - books that keep you
on the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next.
JL |
| Q: |
I
noticed both books begin with the word "Deadly".
Is this a sequel? |
| A: |
Actually,
the titles of all my suspense books will begin with "Deadly"
to help make them easier for readers to remember. So far,
they're all stand-alone books, but I'd love to do a sequel
someday.
JL |
| Q: |
Tell
us something about this book, "Deadly Silence". |
| A: |
The
intriguing idea for "Deadly Silence" first came
to me over ten years ago after a frightening trip to Tulsa's
LaFortune Park with my children. They were tiny then,
and as I pushed their swings, I noticed a man hiding behind
a bush taking pictures of us with a telephoto lens on
his camera. The next time I glanced his way, he had vanished.
It made me wonder...Why would a stranger take pictures
of my babies? The horrifying possibilities gave me
the chills, so I took that fear and turned it into a book.
JL |
| Q: |
Your
first book "Deadly Company" was set in Tulsa.
Where is "Deadly Silence" set? |
| A: |
"Deadly
Silence" is set in Oklahoma City. Since I lived there
for a few years and needed a familiar location, it seemed
like a perfect choice.
JL |
| Q: |
"Deadly
Company" received a tremendous amount of praise both
locally and nationally. Can you tell us more about it? |
| A: |
The
publication of "Deadly Company" was an exciting
time in my life - literally watching a dream come true.
It is the story of a Tulsa-based pharmaceutical company
that uses any means possible to get its products to market...including
testing drugs on innocent children.
JL |
| Q: |
Your
personal life is fascinating as well, a true success story.
Can you tell me how you've achieved your goals? |
| A: |
Although
I feel very lucky to have found two wonderful, fulfilling
careers, I think that anyone who works hard can achieve
all their goals. Working my way up the corporate ladder
was very demanding, yet it gave me the confidence to try
something new. Hard work is still the key to success -
sometimes it opens new doors in totally unexpected places.
JL |
