Astrological sign: Aries

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Birthplace: Livingston, New Jersey

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Family: Two brothers, one older, one younger. Two kids, a boy and a girl. One husband. One very unfriendly cat.

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Past jobs: McDonald's cashier, server, cookie company owner, copywriter, marketing manager, graphic designer, architect, shoelace inventor, author

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Geography: 

(0-1) Livingston, New Jersey

(1-8) Glenns Falls, New York

(8-10) Concord, Michigan

(10-11) East Lansing, Michigan

(11-12) Concord, Michigan

(12-13) Cherry Hill, New Jersey

(13-15) Medford Lakes, New Jersey

(15-19) Santa Barbara, California

(19-21) Long Beach, California

(21-28) Huntington Beach, California

(28-now) Laguna Beach, California

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Spiderman or Superman: Q from James Bond (I love ingenious inventors. And who would James Bond be without Q?)

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Favorite flavor ice cream: Chocolate chip, but only with real vanilla and really good dark chocolate.

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Favorite vacation place: So far–New Zealand and Spain

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Next vacation destination: Japan. I am hiking the Kumano Kodo trail with a friend in November.

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Books I loved as a kid that made me want to write: Anything written by Judy Blume, S.E. Hinton, Shel Silverstein, or Dr. Seuss.

 

What I would like to do beside write: Invent something that changes the world for the better.

 

Five things you may not know about me:

• One of my bucket list goals is to see a game at every Major League Baseball park with my daughter. There are thirty stadiums in eighteen states and Canada. So far, we've been to ten.

• I love Sudoku. There's something incredibly satisfying in figuring it out. I love the absoluteness of getting something perfectly right (so unlike writing, where nothing is ever perfect).

• I was on a game show called Brain Surge with my daughter. We won the first round, then got flushed down the Brain Drain in the next round.

• I invented shoelaces called Wonder Laces. They were "the better shoelace--healthier for your feet, more comfortable, and they have six times the knot strength of normal shoelaces."

• My secret guilty pleasure is watching reality television with my kids. I especially like Survivor.

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I had no idea I wanted to be a writer: After a night out with a girlfriend, I sat at my computer to jot down an idea that had occurred to me that evening and which I thought might make a good story. The words poured out of me faster than I could type, and I stayed up half the night as the plot and characters carried me away on an incredible, unexpected journey. Seven months later, I had my first novel, and I was hooked. The writing was terrible, and it took a long time to develop the craft so the writing didn't get in the way with the story. But that first novel got me my agent, and my fifth novel, Hush Little Baby, got published.

 

How much of my writing is based on my own experience: A lot of it. Be careful what you say around me. My friends and family are starting to realize, if they say something interesting, there’s a good chance it will end up in one of my stories.

 

Hobbies: I am a geek and a dabbler. Everything interests me, so I am constantly trying new things and getting half good at them before getting distracted by something else. I dabble in painting, gardening, pickle ball, golf, and making all sorts of things ranging from light fixtures to bracelets and fly swatters. I am also one of those annoying people that actually stops to read the information signs on monuments and landmarks. I can’t help it. Minutia fascinates me.

 

Where I write: I spend each morning writing at different cafes in my area. I like the ambient noise, and it's great for picking up interesting tidbits and conversations. In the afternoon, I work at home and bounce ideas off my cat. 

 

Lessons learned as an author: Patience and perseverance, everything happens slower than you think and you can’t give up because you never know when the stars are going to align. Sometimes pipe dreams really do come true.

 

Beach or mountains: Either. I live at the beach, but there are a thousand other beaches in the world I would love to visit. I also love to ski and hike, so mountains peak my interest as well.

 

Country or city: City. The energy, the architecture, the restaurants!­

 

Shy or easy going: Easy going and getting less shy with age.

 

Serious of funny: Always looking for the funny.

 

Traveler or not: Traveler. So many places to see and not enough time.

 

Leader of the group or not: Not a leader, but also not a follower. Typically, I go my own way.

 

What's the one question no one ever asks that you wish they would: Can you sing Gilligan Island’s theme song? "Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip..."

 

Favorite...

• Word: Serendipity

• TV show: Survivor

• Movie: Forrest Gump

• Book: The Power of One

• Music: Classic rock, alternative, blues... It’s all good. Bruce Springsteen, CCR, Amos Lee, Adele, Bonnie Rait, and Stevie Nicks are among my favorites.

• Food: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives -- places off the beaten path turning out good grub. 

• City: San Diego 

• Motto: "Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars." Les Brown

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