Q: What kind of research do you do for your books, and when do you do it?
A: I thoroughly enjoy researching because I love learning, and I know I’m doing my job as a writer to bring accuracy to my readers. The historical aspects of my books demand research for cultural authenticity and fact checking. Another perk is that I often discover something to hang my mystery on during researching. I usually begin four to five months before writing. But I continue researching as needed during writing. My research mainly involves reading relevant books and articles and taking notes. Sometimes, I interview experts such as a snake venom evolutionist at an Australian university for Book 1. For Book 2, I had to become familiar via articles with gemstones of antiquity. In Book 3, I read a biography on the first Black-American sheriff Bass Reeves, and articles about gold mining and ghost towns. For Book 4, I read books and articles about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, pearls, Japanese culture, language, and folklore. Books 5 and 6 necessitated my reading books and articles about Edgar Allan Poe, Boris Karloff, makeup artist Jack Pierce, studio electrician Ken Strickfaden, early Hollywood’s movie history and film techniques, and the life and work of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. I also enjoyed rewatching some of my favorite Universal Pictures classic horror films of inspiration and fun!

Q: Can you hear your characters talking?
A: Middle Grade fiction relies heavily on dialogue, so I am fortunate to be able to hear my characters talking. Once I open my laptop, it doesn’t take long before I disappear from this world and enter Botanic Hill. In fact, I feel as if I were a fly on the wall, eavesdropping on the characters’ conversations and merely transcribing them. Sometimes as I write, events pop up or chapters end in ways that I wasn’t expecting! These points might sound strange, but I find them to be a delightful aspect of the creative process.

Q: Where do you write? Where do you wish you could write?
A: I usually write at my desk in my bedroom with my back to the window. I have a desk lamp, file box, copies of my books, a laptop and printer of course, and some grammar cheat sheets tacked to a board in front of me. My dream writing place is a cozy garret in a multi-storied, haunted mansion. There would be a mullioned window looking down on a secret garden that I can see from my desk. Now that’s inspiration!

Q: What are some fun facts about you that might not appear in your bio?
A: I have a fraternal twin sister; I am the proud grandma, aka “Gigi,” of a granddaughter and grandson; I am mad about vintage staircases and think that I was an architect in a former life; I love purple and dark chocolate; my favorite movies are Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935); and, I am a proponent of the Oxford comma.

Excerpt #2: From Chapter 19, “Illumination” –700 words
Background: The four Botanic Hill detectives have hatched a plan to ambush the Shocking Specter. Their hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Llewellyn, and the local sheriff will assist. The young neighbor twins, Rhys and Ceri Thomas, have been helping on the case but are not allowed to participate in the evening’s plan . . .
“Mrs. Thomas called earlier,” Mrs. Llewellyn said to the four detectives over an early dinner at home. “Because of the fire last night, and their fear of another blaze this evening, the twins’ parents won’t let Ceri and Rhys go outside tonight. They’re very sorry, and the twins are quite upset. To spare the kids more grief, I didn’t say anything about the ambush plan. Anyway, Sheriff Jones already told us they couldn’t participate.”
“Thanks for not telling them,” Lanny said. “We’ll make it up to the twins.”
The others nodded. Moki called Ceri and Rhys to say the squad was sorry, but they would see them soon.
Thirty minutes later, butterflies were fluttering in Lanny’s stomach as the four sleuths and the couple, all dressed in black, were meeting with Sheriff Jones in the tower museum’s storage room. The back door was still unlocked from the morning. The Llewellyns had removed the barricade earlier as Lanny asked. Now, the cartons and crates were restacked in their usual manner around the storage room and would provide safe hiding places for the would-be ambushers.
Sheriff Jones got everyone’s attention. After introducing Deputy Williams, who doffed his hat, the sheriff said, “I’ve never believed this so-called Shocking Specter was a ghost, but a real person. So, I’m happy we’re all in agreement about that. I’m also pleased you sleuths have found so many clues that might help shut down its operation—tonight.”
He went on to explain the importance of total silence once the specter arrived and warned them that it might look shocking like its name implied. Everything Lanny had already told the squad matched the sheriff’s plan. They would wait patiently to see if the specter revealed where and what it was hunting and remain in hiding as long as possible. If anything went wrong before the entire plan played out, only the sheriff and deputy would make the arrest.
“What about the accomplice?” Rani asked. “We don’t think the two will arrive together since the specter usually seems to hunt alone at night.”
“Right. But we’ll wait her out, nonetheless,” the sheriff replied. “I think she’ll arrive at some point. And let’s hope for no fire tonight. It could gum up the works.”
“So, you really think she’ll show up?” Rani asked. The sheriff nodded. “Eventually, especially if the specter doesn’t communicate with her in a timely manner as most partners do. I’m counting on her getting worried and coming to investigate.”
Lanny thought this was the perfect plan for capturing both criminals and the objects they hunted. “We detectives are willing to wait it out until morning, if necessary, when she returns to relock the door.”
The sheriff gave him two thumbs up. “Thanks, but I suspect she’ll show up long before that.”
Once everyone understood the directions, and their questions were answered, they found their hiding places. The girls huddled with Mrs. Llewellyn behind a large pile of cartons while the boys stuck close to Mr. Llewellyn, all on the opposite side of the room from the back door. The sun had set. Sheriff Jones turned out the light. They were in pitch blackness. All they could do now was wait.
Nightbirds in the woods started their evening concert, which helped to soothe the ambushers’ nerves. An owl hooted in the nearby cemetery as if to warn everyone not to enter. But thirty minutes later, the birdsong abruptly ended. The ambushers were on alert. Seconds ticked by.
Soon, soft footsteps were heard rounding the side of the tower museum. Then, they stopped. A full minute passed before they resumed. Someone or something was coming down the stone stairs! The group inside peeked around their barricades. What they saw was shocking. An eerie green glow was seeping through the edges of the back door, like something from a sci-fi movie. Everyone held their breath!