I call myself a Desert Rat. I was born in a desert community, raised in various desert communities around the Southwest, and even though I attempted to escape the desert while in my early adult years, I simply traded a North American desert for a South American one. You would think that for a person who craves green and mild climates, I'd be able to find my way out of hot and arid communities. Unfortunately, I've yet to find the magic potion that will whisk me away to the places I can only picture in my dreams. However, being a Desert Rat has it's advantages. Currently, it means that I live within spitting distance of some of North America's prettiest beaches. I take advantage of this fact as often as I can. Beaches feature prominently in my writings. Yes, you could say I have a beach fetish. Must be all that sand that runs through my veins. Not only are beaches inspiring, but they are never stagnant, a quality I try hard to instill in my characters and plots. It helps that I have a LARGE family and hundreds of friends to pull from for character building. Thank heavens, they have no problem lending their individual personalities to the people who populate my mind and my stories. For that generosity of spirit, I can never thank them enough. Surrounded by quirky people as I am, I have been writing since I was a small child of 5 and peopling my stories with the people in my life. My very first character was a Malamute puppy named Nanook who bore a striking resemblance to my Uncle Tom. I'm glad he didn't mind my turning him into a dog. Writing is my first love, superseded only by my love for the people who I share my life with. They inspire me, support me, hold me up, and kick me in the pants when I need it. Without them, I am nothing. How better to thank them for all that they are in my life, than to immortalize them in my books.