I am a working novelist, with 14 books published over the past 20 years.In addition to my new titles available published through Montlake, I'm thrilled to be able to bring to my readers my backlist.I also make jewelry and I'm a fine needlework artist, specializing in embroidery, thread crochet, and sewing. I love to cook, read, entertain friends, decorate, and pursue various crafts.I live in the Pacific Northwest near the Columbia River, still within 10 miles of my old high school. I have one cat, a Great Pyrenees (mixed), an elderly Shepherd (mixed) I rescued, and three chickens who all seem to want to be in my small office while I'm trying to work (except the chickens, although they'd be thrilled to get into the house if I let them). Getting up to step around them is like maneuvering an obstacle course, but they are my children and so dear to me. My hours are kind of goofy--I'm just not a morning person and tend to be up late when the rest of the world is sleeping--and QUIET. No phones, faxes, distractions. Just the kids and me, candles burning, and the elevator music coming out of my CD player.Before I made the leap to full-time writer, I spent about 12 years working for consulting civil engineers. Riprap, anyone? How about a nice detention pond?I'll read just about anything written by Stephen King, Frank McCourt, or Martin Clark. A few of my favorite books are the Harry Potter series, the Outlander series, Angela's Ashes, A Farewell To Arms, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Observations, Lonesome Dove, A Garden of Sand, Gone With the Wind, Hummingbird, Trinity, and The Hunger Games trilogy.And someday, before one of us is snatched from this earth, I'd love to meet these people. They have either inspired my own work, impressed me with theirs, favorably impacted my life, made me think, performed brave deeds, or any combination thereof: Bruce Springsteen, Stephen King, Captain Sig Hansen, Jon Bon Jovi, LaVyrle Spencer, and Stephen Hawking. (Captain Phil Harris was also on this list, but it was my great pleasure and good fortune to meet him in June 2008, 18 months before he passed away.)