What inspired you to pursue writing?

Beginning in high school, I've always enjoyed writing - the transfer of an idea onto paper. When I won a Chamber of Commerce essay contest, I thought I might have a flair for it. In college English class, I received reinforcement with A's on my term papers. Then medical school and subsequent surgical training interrupted the creative process. I did have several papers published in surgical journals, but that was hardly literature! During my career years, my friends enjoyed my annual Christmas letter, but that was the extent of my writing until I retired and then had the time to follow my muse.

Where do you draw inspiration for your work?

Current events certainly stimulate what-if ideas in my head. I start with a basic premise and go from there. I usually have no idea how my stories will end when I begin a novel as I let the plot elements progress. As E.L. Doctorow famously said, "Writing is like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."

What’s your ideal writing environment look like?

I do most of my writing on a screened-in porch off my house on a coastal island of North Carolina. I use a small foldable table I bought in Walmart and sit on an old camp chair. I use legal pads and write the first draft in longhand. Ditto the second draft. Then I type the chapter(s) into my laptop set up in the bedroom, editing again as I go.

How do you handle the difficult moments of the creative process like writer’s block or rejection?

I'm not sure if it can be called writer's block, but in every story I reach a point (or points!) where I don't know how a character will react logically to a situation, or how that situation will have importance in the plot. I usually think about these temporary roadblocks before drifting off to sleep at night. Sometimes a week or more will elapse before I come up with a solution.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Any book recommendations?

Thrillers are what I most like to read, and that's what I mostly write. Novels by Nelson DeMille, Lee Child, John Sandford, Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly, even Clive Cussler and Elmore Leonard, are my mainstays.

What’s your best advice for new, emerging writers trying to break into the industry?

Read everything you can, especially in your chosen genre. See how other authors construct their stories to make them compelling, and think about how they could be even better!