I came to mystery writing because of a voice in my head demanding to be written. This voice went through many incarnations prior to finding his way into a mystery. I hadn't read a lot of mysteries, preferring the genres of fantasy and science fiction. I tried making him a starship captain, but he had the wrong attitude. Then I picked up a novel by John D. MacDonald, The Lonely Silver Rain (I think I bought it because I loved the title). I was hooked. I read every private detective novel I could get my hands on, then asked the voice in my head if he thought he'd like to try his hand at the detecting business, and he said, "What took you so long?" Indeed. I named him Quint McCauley. I often get asked why I write from a male point of view and I suppose my most truthful answer is that's how the voice came out. He's been in five novels, starting with Murder in Store, and several short stories.

I've tackled something different with my new novel, Heartstone, which was born when I interviewed a gemologist in preparation for what I thought would be a series featuring a brother and sister involved in the gem industry. Well, the gemologist showed me a small gemstone called alexandrite. It changes color depending on the lighting conditions. I was smitten. A larger piece of alexandrite became the centerpiece for Heartstone, and I also indulged my love of Celtic mythology. The novel weaves elements of the Arthurian legend into a contemporary quest in which a young woman seeks the truth behind her father's disappearance and the mysterious stone he left her. I find that mythology fits quite nicely into a contemporary writing. We'll always need our myths.

I'm currently finishing up a more typical mystery. At the novel's center is the festival of Samhain, a time when the dead are honored and the shadow is embraced. A day known to most as Halloween.

And, to the readers wondering if there's going to be a sequel to Heartstone: you bet.