Q: You grew up in Illinois. Why did you make the decision to move to L.A.?
We moved to LA so my husband could pursue his acting career. And I decided to work at an agency to hopefully learn a ton about entertainment, possibly help my husband’s career, and because I didn’t want to take a third bar exam. (I’d taken Illinois and Colorado and passed all within two years.)
Q: Was it hard adjusting to the California ways?
California wasn’t as challenging to adjust to as the world of entertainment. I love the warm weather and the casual lifestyle. My most difficult adjustment in entertainment was calling everyone by their first name. And I mean everyone. From the president of production to the CEO. If you work in entertainment you call them by their first name. So foreign for a girl from Illinois.
Q: You split your time between writing and producing. Is that difficult?
Lately I’ve been doing more writing than producing. Writing at this point in my career comes first. Later, I may find that I spend more time as a producer.
Q: How much fun did you have writing your Hollywood novels?
They were a blast. The characters wouldn’t stop telling me there story! In the morning, on the drive to work, late at night.; I couldn’t get their voices out of my head.
Q: I’m sure you get asked this a lot, but are the characters based off people you know or have come across while living in LA?
Each character is a unique individual created by my psyche. Although, I’ve had a number of friends and colleagues ask me if they are based on specific people… They may share some traits with people I’ve worked with….but I’ll never tell.
Q: From reading your books, (and watching TV!) it sounds like there aren’t too many people you can trust in Hollywood. Would you say that is a correct statement?
Entertainment is a business. An incredibly competitive, high stakes business. Just like any business you have some great people to work with and some not so great people to work with. Luckily I’ve been blessed with a huge number of great people in my life.
Q: How do you handle the difficulties of working in the entertainment industry?
Resilience and persistence. My family keeps me grounded. Plus, when you get to do what you absolutely love for a living…how bad can it really be?
Q: I read on your site that you are writing a contemporary romance. Can you give any details about that?
I LOVE this book. I use both my background as an attorney as well as the world of entertainment in this book.
Q: What do you find to be your favorite part about writing?
When I come back to a page to edit and rewrite and I read something that I love and don’t remember writing.
Q: When did you decide you wanted to write?
Probably around 8 years old. But I grew up in Illinois and Kansas and writing wasn’t really a career choice…or something that I realized could be a career choice. As an adult, I began to write my first manuscript in 1996 and the first book sold late 2005.
Q: How you enjoy your free time?
Playing with my children. Spending time with my husband. Watching movies. Reading. Going to the beach.
Q: What is or would be your favorite place to travel?
Paris. I want to live in Paris for a while.
