Internationally Acclaimed Author Simon Corbin

London's Simon Corbin isn't just a prolific writer unashamedly pushing boundaries others might find intimidating, he's a man cognizant of the world and its beauty, as well as its pitfalls and dangers, and embraces and implants all of that awareness in his stories.

An intensely dedicated man, Corbin's literary voice is profound and resonates both through the halls of academia as well as his fiction novels. While a lecturer and teacher of journalism, Corbin also opted to teach adult literacy to bus drivers, providing a much needed service, which is still on-going. A journalist and copywriter, Corbin has provided his services to a wide array of clients, from newspapers and magazines, to government agencies and blue chip companies.

But it is writing fiction that truly frees Corbin's spirit and curious mind.

His tales traverse life from the retrospective and provocative "All Things Nice," the story of a man on the brink of forty who hopes to find his future by rediscovering his past, to the alienation of a punk rocker rebel and his pain-filled rites of passage in "Rude Boy," to his current chilling release, "Love, Gudrun Ensslin." The latter is a story of the vulnerability of our world to those able to seize upon our worst fears and manipulate those fears for personal gain. In Corbin's words, the story "warns of the dangers of both ideology-led violence and greed-fuelled exploitation."

Simon Corbin is a writer who employs many genres, but always leaves his readers entertained, and most of all, thinking.
Simon's Web Site

Q) You donate portions of the sales from your books to support charities. Many "talk" about helping others, but you have acted. What was the catalyst that pushed you into action?

A) I’ve long thought along the lines of: If you’re not actively involved in trying to make this world a better place then how do you sleep at night or look at yourself in the mirror? It’s an ethos that informs my writing – although I try hard not to make my books overtly preachy or sanctimonious (which would be patronising and, to some degree, inappropriate for works of art). I just happen to think it’s important that people are aware that every individual (no matter how impoverished or apparently disenfranchised they may seem) really can make a positive difference to improving the lot of everyone and everything around them – and that, furthermore, this is a choice they can make for themselves: a conscious choice between being mean-spirited or generous in spirit. I also think the higher up the food chain you find yourself, the greater the onus in terms of responsibility to others – hence, I believe governments, corporates and the (unimaginably) rich owe a duty of care to society at large (and not the converse – which sadly seems to be the global status quo nowadays). I don’t think there was a particular catalyst in my case – I’m just trying to find the most appropriate way for me to do what I can. In that regard, I think it makes sense for me to use some of the profits gained from writing (such as they are!) to help those organizations that are clearly instances of generosity of spirit in action. I aim to choose an organization to benefit from each novel that somehow relates thematically to the novel itself. Hence, Rude Boy supports a charity for London’s homeless young people - Centrepoint. Love, Gudrun Ensslin supports an animal welfare charity – CHAT (The Celia Hammond Animal Trust). The idea that we are common humanity (and, by extension, common animality) sharing this thing we call ‘existence’ (and that we should help and support each other) – is really the central theme of my novel Love, Gudrun Ensslin.

Q) You hold a firm and public appreciation of artists, such as William Foreman and Simon Gales. What draws you inside a painting or sculpture?

A) I used to draw cartoons and caricatures as a kid – the caricatures, in particular, got me into quite a lot of trouble during my school years! There was also a time when I briefly considered doing a Foundation degree in art and trying to become an artist. My mother worked as an artist’s agent and managed a succession of art galleries in London – so I was brought up surrounded by art and artists. When I began in journalism I wrote regular art reviews for What’s On In London (a now defunct rival to Time Out) for several years – touring the galleries and producing double page spreads on the BP Portrait Award, Paula Rego, Georg Baselitz, Bridget Riley and so on. William Foreman and Simon Gales are contemporary artists I met and admired. I wrote an introduction for a book on Foreman and I am very keen to promote Simon Gales’ astonishing current body of work to a wider audience – check it out amigos! And to answer the second part of your question(!): I look for a visceral emotional response to a work – an instinctive attraction. My all-time favourite artist is George Grosz – his bitingly satirical canvasses are the closest thing I have ever to seen to the sort of art I feel I would have produced if I had actually followed that path. As pure technicians I hugely admire Cranach, Durer and Caravaggio.

Q) Does your love of art ever transcend into your writing, and if so, how?

A) It has not done so in any overt way so far – but I wouldn’t rule it out in the future! However, it has actually happened the other way around – in that the afore-mentioned Simon Gales read my novel Love, Gudrun Ensslin and totally ‘got it’ in a way not every reader does. It could be that an artist’s sensibilities allow him (or her) to view a work of art (i.e. a novel) in a particular way. Whatever the explanation, Simon (Gales) posted a spot-on review of Love, Gudrun Ensslin on French Amazon that I hope to use in promoting the novel further. By the way, David, I must add that you have also totally grasped where I am coming from in my writing – and I thank you for the intro you have written to this Q&A section.

Q) While your stories may appear eclectic, the common thread is the spirit of the individual. What is it about people that so enthralls and fascinates you?

A) The principal focus for me is exploring the human condition – and the medium I have chosen is the novel. My first degree (at London University) was a BA (Hons) in Philosophy – and philosophical enquiry still absorbs me. Writing novels adds a layer of freedom and creativity beyond the codified strictures of philosophy (as an academic discipline) that is perfect for me (as someone who instinctively kicks against artificial boundaries). So, you’re right! Superficially each of my novels appears to be wholly different to its predecessor but each one in some way concerns the experience of being human – albeit in a variety of contexts. The plight of the individual is the focus precisely because the ‘human condition’, by its very nature, is necessarily subjective – we all go through life experiencing it from a unique perspective; how we might transcend that is fascinating to me and constantly plays out in my fiction.

Q) Describe the perfect morning of the perfect day for Simon Corbin.

A) At its simplest level (and this does happen quite often – UK weather notwithstanding!) – the sun is shining and I am off to play hours and hours of tennis! On a purely selfish level, I look forward to the day when I can wake up knowing I am earning my sole income from writing (and that it is sufficient to sustain my writing into the indefinite future). On a wider level, a perfect morning also involves knowing all is well with various family and friends. Finally, on the widest possible level, the most perfect morning ever will involve waking up to find that the real world has somehow become the ideal world – somehow the ‘goodies’ among us have finally won; there’s an end to hatred, injustice, cruelty, avarice, greed, warfare, murder, corruption, exploitation (etc!) – i.e. a real life Hollywood ending! One lives (and writes!) in hope!

Thriller Author Cat Connor

New Zealand's Cat Connor is the self-described mother of a "bunch of children" ranging from just in school to married. Needless to say, this lady is extremely busy with life in general. Yet, somehow, she has managed to author ten novels. However, it was the creation of the heroine, Special Agent Ellie Conway, that ultimately propelled Cat's work to the public's attention and peer recognition. "Killerbyte" was a finalist for the 2010 EPIC Award in the Mystery and/or Suspense category – a very respectable and noteworthy accomplishment.

"Killerbyte," a story of innocence in a chat room that results in murder, was inspired by reality. Yeah. You never know who is really on the other side of the monitor looking in at you.

In "Terrorbyte," the wise-cracking, psycho-prophetic Agent Conway returns to take on a killer using murder to camouflage his true agenda. Now, in "Exacerbyte," Cat's latest release, the special agent is taking on a new threat, seemingly even more intelligent, and thusly, more dangerous than the others Conway has faced. Due to this series' unquestioned success, a fourth book is in the works.

Cat Connor exploded out of the gate with a book that caught immediate attention and a devout following. She's only now coming in to her stride, and we can expect to see much more from this talented writer.
http://catconnor.wordpress.com/

Q) Why thrillers? What is it about this genre that attracts you?

A) I have always read thrillers and mysteries. As a teenager I read a lot of Ian Fleming, (among many others). James Bond was pretty damn cool (and he still is), but like most thriller protagonists, male. The older I grew the more I noticed a lack of thrillers with female protagonists. We were getting the raw end of the deal and being portrayed as weak and in need of rescue – or worse, strong female protags were bitchy, nasty, and quite unlikable. Where were the real women in thriller fiction that I could identify with? Well, there really weren’t any when I started writing to amuse friends and myself.

Funnily enough, I made no conscious decision to write thrillers. The decision was to write a book I wanted to read, period. My stories have a lot of action, high stakes, and are fast paced, because that’s what I enjoy, but I didn’t particularly have a genre in mind.

In fact, when I eventually wrote killerbyte I had no clue what genre it actually was. At various stages of the process, killerbyte had been labeled with many genre suggestions. I’d even been told it was a romance, which I didn’t see, at all! (Romance to me involved throbbing and heaving… I don’t do throbbing and heaving! I’m way more into killing and maiming.)

I’d been told that thrillers are plot driven and literary fiction was character driven. That was even more confusing! My books are both character and plot driven. The _Byte Series books are equally about Agent Conway and whatever plot line emerges.

Q) With your family and schedule, how do you in fact find any time to write?

A) Most of the battle is planting bum in seat and fingers on keyboard – once I do that, I actually have about 6 hours a day in which to write. Writing has always been something that fitted around life, but now that I have more uninterrupted time, I can write during the day and treat it a little more like a real job. Although, if I’m caught up in a scene – everything get’s pushed aside until I’m finished. So on those days I might be serving up canned spaghetti for dinner and writing late into the night! (And quite frankly, don’t expect me to have done the laundry, vacuumed, do dishes, or to dust when I’m working.)

If you really want to write you will find the time.

Q) How did it feel when you learned "Killerbyte," was a finalist, a true contender for an EPIC Award?

A) I learned killerbyte was a finalist for an EPIC award the same week that terrorbyte was released. It was a crazy week. I do believe there was a lot of shrieking and celebrating. If I recall rightly we celebrated with South African wine! There was a heady mix of was delight and surprise that my first novel was being so well received. It didn’t matter that we didn’t win, it was enough of a confidence boost to be a finalist!

Q) What is it about your heroine, Ellie Conway, that you believe has attracted fans?

A)The appeal with Ellie (in my opinion) is her realism. She’s not an airheaded bimbo who runs down the middle of the road when being chased by someone in a car. I used to see those women/girls in movies and grumble to myself, “you deserve to die, you are just too stupid to live!”

Ellie is smart, funny, and can hold her own in any given situation. She may not enjoy everything she does in her job. Every now and then it gets all too much, she’s been known to vomit when a confronted by a particularly gruesome crime scene but she won’t compromise the crime scene doing so. Ellie is tough enough to gain the respect of her team and human enough for us to still like and really want good things for her.

She isn’t perfect, but then who is?

And she is a whole lot of fun to write, which probably comes through in the text.

Q) Do you have any new characters on the horizon readers should be watching for, or any plans to expand into other genres?

A)I introduced two new characters in exacerbyte, which was a lot of fun. The idea of having a rock star character really amused me – you’ll get to see a little more of Rowan Grange in future books and it’s highly likely there will be other new characters coming in.

As for other genres, yes and no. I don’t think I’ll be straying too far from action filled fun and games that are thrillers, but I have a historic novel I’m working on (when I get time and the inclination). It’s more a historic thriller than anything. I also have a kiwi series I’m toying with, but think that will probably be classified thriller too.

The Humbling Genius of Dr. Ervin Laszlo

Hungarian Ervin Laszlo was a child prodigy on piano. But his creativity, vision, and insatiable appetite for exploration refused to be satisfied with stopping at internationally acclaimed virtuoso.


Today he is the holder of the highest degree of the Sorbonne (the State Doctorate), four honorary Ph.D.s and numerous awards and distinctions, including the 2001 Goi Peace Award (the Japanese Peace Prize) and the 2005 Assisi Mandir of Peace Prize. He has authored or contributed to more than 80 books and is a two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee. A former professor of philosophy, systems theory, and futures studies in the U.S., Europe, and the Far East, Laszlo is founder and president of an international think tank (the Club of Budapest), as well as the General Evolution Research Group.

Now, he has elected to tell his story. But not as a remote personality at a podium, or a stranger in our midst. Laslo has penned "Simply Genius: And Other Tales from My Life" in the manner of an old friend sitting on our couch, a cup of lemon tea in his hand, saying, "Let me tell you where I've been the last seventy-nine years." And that in and of itself lends insight to the uncommon genius of Ervin Laszlo.

Laszlo's father was a shoe manufacturer - his mother played the piano. At age nine, Laszlo performed his first concert with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. By age fifty-two, he participated in clandestine meetings behind the Iron Curtain to explore if it might be possible to identify an evolutionary path toward a better world should mankind destroy this one. Where many see a world filled with degradation, polarization, and disaster, Laszlo sees the possibilities of navigating our future toward humanism, ethics, and global sustainability.
Dr. Laszlo's Web Site

Q) As a boy in Hungary you enjoyed Apache Indians, candy, and suffered the same skinned knees as any other child. In fact, during your debut with the Budapest Symphony, the child you were was focused on whether a particular box of candy had arrived. When did you realize your life would not parallel other children?

A) I never realized it, certainly not as a child. I always thought of myself as "one of the boys" - playing soccer in the summer, ice hockey in the winter and bicycling all year 'round. I enjoyed listening to music - loved the phonograph I got for my 10th birthday and avidly collected the large and scratchy 78 rpm disks I would listen to over and over. My mother played the piano for me every morning and then I played the same pieces in turn - it was great fun. Then I went on with my life - a boy's life, like any other. That I also performed on the piano for others was just more fun. Great fun, in fact.

Q) What prompted you to write your story now?

A) Actually, friends and publishers prompted me, but I didn't want to do it. I said I am not interested in looking back, just forward - what has been, has been. But finally I agreed to write down the anecdote I would come up with when journalists would ask, "how did you shift from being a concert pianist to being an academic - a philosopher?" That is quite a story, and since I have told it quite a few times, I just sat down and wrote it out. It only took a few hours. Then my friends came back saying fine, but can you add how you met and married the Finnish girl who became your wife? That was another question I was often asked and I got used to giving an answer to it. So that took another half-day. To make one long story into several short stories, within three weeks I had a dozen "short-stories" on my laptop. And I began to enjoy myself. It was fun going back over the years and living myself into bygone and I thought long-forgotten times. They were as vivid as ever. For a day I would be an eighteen year old growing up and having romantic adventures in New York, then a thirty year old in Switzerland timorously seeing if he could make it as a budding scientist and philosopher. Or a fifty-five year old becoming an international civil servant and being privy to some of the backstage discussions at the UN that would shape the world (or so I thought). And so it went, until I had all twenty-two stories in hand and said, now basta - that's enough. I added some recollections of how I reconnected with my hometown Budapest over the years, and the book was born.

Q) During my research I encountered one of the obvious detractors of your work. Claims of extremism, a blatant hint at fascism, and the intent to create a one-world government abound. How do you maintain your composure against such inordinate criticism?

A) I have been called many things (though being a fascist and a one-world government advocate is frankly ridiculous) and I never really minded it - I remember Gandhi saying that when you innovate first you will be ignored, then denigrated, and then (with luck and perseverance) your ideas will be embraced as if we would have known them all along. Best is to get past the phase of being ignored. Fine then to become accepted even without being recognized for what one is accepted for. The main thing is to get the ideas across - that's what I had always wanted.

Q) Of all your accomplishments, professionally and personally, which is the one that continues to warm your heart?

A) What I most want and have always hoped for and appreciated is having loving people around me: my immediate family and close friends. I have that privilege, though I don't feel that I really deserve it. Perhaps I have been lucky. In any case, I thank my lucky stars for that.

Q) Throughout your life, it is music that seems to be the blood in your veins that fuels your passion, the drive to pursue your intuition, and your love of wisdom. Should all of us seek to identify a passion beyond the rote of routine?

A) I should say, yes, absolutely. Living for something is what makes life worth living. Having a vision, no matter how pedestrian or how pie in the sky. The ultimate hobby, the ultimate satisfaction, is to do something that you think is worthwhile. For me a day when I pursued my vision-hobby is a day well spent. Otherwise it seems like a day pretty well wasted.

Q) What message do you hope to leave with your readers?

A) Life is a great adventure. The adventure of finding out what it - I mean life - really is all about. And if you can have fun while looking for the answer, so much the better. I abhor being so serious about anything that the sense of adventure is lost, and there is no fun pursuing it. There is a well-known expression in German (which I have known as a child, since it has its equivalent in Hungarian) tierische Ernst, meaning "beastly seriousness." I have always disliked it, in myself even more than in others. I hope this comes through between the lines in all these "tales from my life."

Romance Author Lauren Fraser

Canadian Lauren Fraser was giving her two daughters the "follow your dreams" speech when she realized maybe she should follow her own advice. Today Lauren is a multi-published author with many more wonderful tales to come. Claiming a huge romantic heart and to be a sucker for happy endings, she naturally gravitated to romance as her writing interest and chosen genre.

Preferring tea, she has a cupboard filled with varying flavors. She's also a self-proclaimed chocoholic. But don't let her gentle persona fool you, she's an avid mixed martial arts fan and has broken off more than one conversation so she didn’t miss a single round of a bout. Lauren's also a lover of the outdoors and regularly goes camping, hiking, and kayaking with her husband and children.

Certainly, a number of Lauren's novels such as "Sex, Sin, and Surf" contain the jaw-droppingly handsome hero whose mere appearance on the page curls your toes in anticipation of his meeting the heroine. But Lauren also believes men with brains can be incredibly sexy. From that belief she penned the novel "The Geek Next Door," the story of a successful and powerful woman who discovers the fantasy she thought would only remain an intangible dream actually lives next door in a man who uses his mind to make her fantasies reality.

And while today's dating world may utilize the Internet to meet, Lauren still believes in what she calls the "Wowza!" moment when your gaze falls on that certain someone who sends your heart into cardiac arrest, and your mind to the clouds.

If you enjoy romance, love, and unforgettable characters and prose, you need to spend some time with a Lauren Fraser story.
Lauren's Web Site

Q) "Undercover Attraction," a story about a DEA agent, was your first published story. How nervous were you about how the readers would accept it?

A) First let me just say thank you so much for having me as a guest today. I'm really excited to be here. Now onto your question, how nervous was I? Goodness, nervous doesn't even begin to describe it, it was more like terrified, but then I am every time I have a book released. LOL

Q) Outwardly, you don't appear shy, yet you claim to be naturally introverted. How have you overcome that in order to communicate with readers, which I know you do regularly.

A) Well I have to admit it's a whole lot easier to get over my nerves when I don't have to do it face to face. Honestly a big part of being an author is getting your name out there so people actually know to look for your books, so even though it wasn't originally in my comfort zone, I put on my big girl panties and did it. Now that I have done several different promotional things it has gotten considerably easier, thank goodness. Although I admit, on social media stuff, I do still find it easier to comment on existing conversations rather than starting my own, but I'm trying to get better at that too. *grin*

Q) You worked in the child protection field for a number of years. Not an easy job at times. How has that experience influenced your writing?

A) I like to think it has made me more in tune with my characters and their conflicts. I'm always trying to figure out what shaped them into the people they are now, upbringing, experiences in the past, etc. all have a huge impact on how you handle various situations and I hope I create characters that have that depth to them.

Q) I know you to have a wicked and off the hip sense of humor. Your book "Aged to Perfection" offers a hint of the depth of your wit. Who do you attribute your humor to?

A) Hmm that's a tough question. Can't I just plead I was born with it? LOL I'm not really sure, but I'd probably have to give a lot of the credit to my grandpa. He had an amazing sense of humor and he used to make up these fantastic stories and in hindsight they were obviously fake but he was so good at spinning these tales and lacing in the real life humor of those situations that I always believed him. He also taught me the importance of being able to laugh at myself which I think helps. Other than that I have no idea.

Q) As a relative newcomer to being published, what advice would you have for those who have a story to tell but have yet to put pen to paper?

A) Umm... get your butt in the chair and write it. LOL I know that sounds a bit simple but it's true. It's really easy to put it off and not write, Life has a funny way of sidetracking you from your goals if you let it. You can always edit the story later and fix POV and punctuation etc. but you can't fix it if you don't write it. Honestly you learn soooo much just getting it down on the page. When I look back at the first things I've written I realize I've learned a lot through this process, but you can't see your growth if you don't have a starting point.

One Stitch at a Time: Author Marie Bostwick

Marie Bostwick is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, and so very much more.

Marie worked in the bean fields of Oregon, sang and danced in musical productions, acted in TV commercials, taught religion to deaf children, ran an event-planning business, directed a medical mission for the poor in Mexico, worked as the scheduler for a U.S. Senator, and directed women’s ministries, amongst other activities. She's also been married for nearly three decades and raised a family.

Throughout, Marie has enjoyed one pastime in particular – quilting. She still participates in quilting bees, though now she takes her favorite chair with her.

Her debut historical romance novel, "Fields of Gold," was quickly followed by "River's Edge." But it was her third novel, which, I believe, opened a door that Marie probably won't ever willingly walk back through. Continuing in the WWII era, Marie wrote "On Wings of the Morning." In this story, Marie enlisted her heroine in the Women Air Force Service Pilots. The heroine wasn't just empowered, but surrounded by other women possessing great internal strength and character. Marie's heroine had backbone, and a whole army of women standing beside her.

Marie carried this theme to her acclaimed Cobbled Court quilters series. The initial novel, "A Single Thread," introduced the ladies of New Bern, and how tragedy and conflict sewed the group of quilters into a sisterhood of solidarity.

Now, in the fourth title of this series, "Threading the Needle" due out May 31st, the sisterhood is confronted with the difficulties of economic downturn and the ensuing destruction hard times can bring to families. More than ever before the ladies will need each other in order to quilt a future from ragged remnants, one stitch at a time.

Marie's Web Site

Q) "Fields of Gold" took four years to write. Then you discovered publication comes with deadlines. How did you cope with learning you only had months to write a second novel?

A) After I stopped hyper-ventilating, I asked my agent to get me more time. Originally, my editor asked for a second book in four months. I knew I there was no way I could write a worthy successor to FIELDS OF GOLD in that amount of time - I still couldn't. Having to deliver a second novel that quickly would have been a deal breaker for me. After a bit of negotiation, we agreed on a one year deadline. It was challenging but doable. That's still about how long it takes me to write a full length novel.

Then and now, I cope with deadlines the same way - by saying no a lot.

I love writing; it is my calling in life. But writing is a jealous mistress. For me, responding to the call to write often means forgoing other opportunities and activities that I might enjoy, guarding my calendar carefully, prioritizing my career, family, and community responsibilities and relationships, and only saying yes to opportunities or requests which fit those priorities.

Q) Your faith in God is unshakeable as is your ministry, and while you instill divine faith in many of your characters, you choose not to "preach" to your readers when you very easily could. Has that decision ever drawn conflict within you?

A) Not really because I'm clear about my purpose in life. I'm not a preacher - I'm a storyteller. My books often integrate questions of faith and spiritual focus because faith is so tightly woven into my everyday life. I suppose it comes under the heading of "writing what you know".

But, the biggest reason I write about issues of faith is because I think that is one of the major questions each person has to wrestle with in life, at least at some point. I work very hard to write books that are relevant to what actual people are actually dealing with. If you're writing about a character as a whole person, someone with feelings, choices, and experiences that ring true, the picture would be incomplete without some examination of the characters spiritual beliefs and struggles. Not all my characters reach the same conclusions in this regard - some embrace faith, some reject it, and some remain undecided.

Q) You once said you become "a new person" when you begin a new story. What did you mean by that?
A) When I began writing in a serious way, I was a corporate wife and a mother with three children living at home. Then two. Then one. Now it's just me, an indifferent cat, a very spoiled Cavalier King Charles spaniel, and a husband who travels a lot. It seems that every year, the makeup of my family and my corresponding responsibilities change. That requires me to adjust my schedule and writing rituals accordingly.

This year, I became a grandmother and so, once again, I'm a new person. I don't have to squeeze my writing into those few hours between school bus pick ups and drop offs anymore, but being a grandmother will definitely mean an adjustment in my writing habits and schedules. Making time to cherish and help nurture my grandson is a priority for me. I love writing, but it isn't my first love. That distinction is reserved for my family.

Q) While filled with many stories, you initially chose WWII as the setting for your first novel. Why?

A) It's just such a fascinating time period. What other period of time so clearly exposed the most noble and most despicable, even depraved, aspects of human character? If you're writing a novel, that kind of conflict between good and evil is rich soil for growing stories.

At the moment, I'm enjoying writing my contemporary stories but I imagine that one day I'll write another historical novel. When I do, I'll likely set it in the period between the wars.

Q) In "A Thread of Truth" you took on the issue of domestic violence. Why did you choose so early in the series to tackle a subject many readers don't care for? It was a gutsy decision.

A) This might sound crazy, or perhaps naive, but I don't think it every occurred to me that readers might back away from the subject of domestic violence. In Ivy Peterman, the heroine of A THREAD OF TRUTH, I knew I had a character who was compelling, complex, believable, and had a story that was relevant and thought-provoking. Those are the essential elements of a good book and I trusted my readers would embrace that. Fortunately, my faith in them was not misplaced.

That being said, it was a difficult book to write and one that stretched me personally and professionally. I had to do a lot of research and talk to a lot of people to be able to understand how smart, kind, caring women find themselves in these situations and why it can be so hard for women to leave violent relationships. I learned a lot while writing A THREAD OF TRUTH and I think those who read it learned something too. The most important thing I learned about domestic violence is that if we just keep pretending that it isn't there or that it isn't happening in our neighborhood, it will continue to flourish.

New York Times Bestselling Author Nancy Bush

In 1975, single and carefree Nancy Bush dared a fortuneteller to read her palm. The verdict of the prophecy Nancy would have one child and become a writer? Ludicrous.

Today, with a husband, one daughter, and over forty novels to her credit, Nancy can still scoff. After all, the fortuneteller missed she'd become a proud grandmother and momma to a pug dog named The Binkster.

Nancy first began writing stories for young adults. Her works include five "Nancy Drew" mysteries under the penname Carolyn Keene. As Nicole Brooks she authored several "Days Of Our Lives" and "General Hospital" novels. She also worked for a time as a breakdown writer for the TV soap "All My Children." Contemporary romance readers may know Nancy as Natalie Bishop or Nancy Kelly.

Not content to be locked into one style of writing, Nancy successfully authored several historical romances such as "Scandal's Darling." Her sights set on new territory, she penned the acclaimed Jane Kelly mystery series starting with "Candy Apple Red."

Teaming up with sister and bestselling author Lisa Jackson, the duo wrote the hugely popular "Wicked Game," a thriller with a taste of the paranormal. Continuing her interest in thrillers, "Unseen" has shivered spines across the country and around the world. "Blind Spot" combined Nancy's love of mystery, romance, and thriller genres.

Nancy's latest offerings "Wicked Lies" (co-authored with Lisa Jackson) and "Hush" - due out, respectively, this June and July – are sure to once again keep readers turning the page.

Now, I have to be honest. Kensington Books sent me an advanced copy of "Wicked Lies." Oh, my. You don't want to miss this one.
http://www.nancybush.net/

Q) You hold a degree in Foods and Nutrition. What turned you from a career in that field to writing?

A) Motherhood. I was home with my 1-year-old daughter at the time and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. I read an article in TIME Magazine about young mothers who were making a living writing romance novels. This was in (ahem) 1981. (Sheesh, I’ve been at this awhile!) I told my sister about the article and we sat down and wrote our first novel together, which was rejected all over the place. Deciding we wouldn’t listen to the advice of experts, we began writing separate novels and eventually each sold. Lo, these many years later we finally started writing together again, 2009’s "Wicked Game" and now 2011’s "Wicked Lies."

Q) With you and your sister having such amazing talent, is there a family member you attribute your literary gene to, or one who inspired you to pursue your dreams?

A) Everybody was a reader in my family, so that probably kicked off both of our interest. My sister was the one who dreamed of writing, but I was a science major and thought writing papers was a total pain. Still do. But I was a voracious reader. Lisa was kind of into the horse thing but I devoured mysteries, any I could get my hands on, and then thrillers.

Q) You once said the Jane Kelly mysteries is your favorite of all your work. Does that still hold true, and if so, when can Jane's fans look forward to another helping?

A) Jane Kelly and her exploits are still my absolute favorite books to write. They’re like the dessert at the end of the meal. I’m working on the fourth book. I really want to see it published, but I’ve taken a turn into thrillers and the audience has grown so fast that it kind of derailed my publishing plan for Jane! I really want to get back to the mystery series but I just don’t know when that’s going to happen yet.

Q) Holding the distinction of being a NYT Bestselling Author, does that distinction ever become a millstone pressuring you to repeat that achievement?

A) Not on your life. It’s like the best thing ever! Fans of my thrillers have put me there, and it’s one of the reasons I’m having trouble getting back to Jane, Dwayne and The Binkster. Not that I’m complaining!

Q) When it's time to step away from the keyboard and reconnect with your husband, what do the two of you do to rekindle your own romantic story?

A) You know that 1-year-old daughter I mentioned earlier? Well, she grew up and moved to California, got married and had two little girls of her own. What does it say about our romantic story that my husband and I make visiting her and playing grandparents to both of those two little girls our favorite vacation? Okay, we do get out of the Oregon rain, too, so maybe that counts. But after our vacation time with them, we tend to get on the airplane home and pass out before the plane’s even in the air. The combined energy level of a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old is awesome to behold. Our vacation from our vacation is being home with the DVR and saved episodes of MODERN FAMILY, HOUSE and THE GOOD WIFE!

Award-Winning Author Rick R Reed

Rick R. Reed, to the casual observer, appears to be an unassuming, polite, and sometimes shy man unobtrusively residing in Seattle, WA, with his life-partner and a Boston Terrier named Lily.

What lies beneath this man's calm exterior is a mind capable of producing unforgettable tales of horror, romance, and tragedy that have been compared to Stephen King, called "an established brand," won awards, and are constantly evolving. Each Rick R. Reed story takes the readers on a journey in which we may tremble, cry, laugh, swear we want to end, but yet, we will not close the book until the last word has been read.

Masterful prose provides settings and characters readers simply cannot get enough of. Rick's ability to cross and blur genre lines has enthralled readers around the world. His stories know no boundaries and courageously open doors some would rather remain closed. His settings may go from a penthouse to Mr. Leather night in an alley club; from characters trying to discover how they fit in a world they don't understand (Dignity Takes a Holiday) to the tragedy of sacrificing passion in order to know love (In the Blood).

His paranormal novel, "The Blue Moon Café" was named the 2010 Book of the Year by Rainbow Awards for Excellence. The dark and suspenseful "How I Met My Man" is currently receiving rave reviews.

Rick's voice is powerful, compassionate, and here to stay.
Website: http://www.rickrreed.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RickRReed
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rickrreed
Blog http://rickrreedreality.blogspot.com/

Q) Originally, horror and suspense were the centerpieces for your stories. You are now branching out to intriguing tales of romance. What has inspired your shift in focus?

A) I think, as I've grown older and more settled in my life, I'm now more than ready to explore the vagaries of romantic relationships and how human beings interact with one another. I like to write about how people connect, what makes them long for connection, and what can get in the way of that connection. Those themes are timeless and universal. I especially like combining dark suspense with romance.

Q) You have worked as an advertising copywriter and as a movie critic in Chicago. Your entire life revolves around writing. What is it about the written word that has bound you to it so exclusively?

A) I have almost always written. I wrote short stories when I was a small child, a play in 4th grade, a novella in 5th that I read in serial installments to my class…writing is simply something that's constitutional with me, a part of me. I don't look at it as a job or a hobby, but who I am. It's what I do best…and so it's natural that it also plays a part in how I've always made my living.

Q) "Tales From the Sexual Underground" sent you on an odyssey in which you interviewed porn stars, prostitutes, self-proclaimed sex pigs, and delved into bizarre sexual practices. The stories are provocative and, at times, difficult to read. Why was this book so important to you?

A) The book evolved from a column I used to write for a Chicago weekly and many of the columns I wrote at the time are reproduced in the book with some explanatory manner. So are many short stories I wrote which revolve around people living on the sexual edge. I guess what fascinates me about the subject matter is what fascinates me about human behavior--what drives people and what sometimes compels them to do things that they know logically they should resist, but can't.

Q) In "Deadly Vision" you send out a clear message about the importance of a mother's bond with her children. That story was a bit of a departure for you. Why did you feel the need to tell it?

A) The story is not really a departure. It's a story of dark suspense about a reluctant psychic having visions into the murders of young girls in her small hometown. So I think it fits quite well into my canon. But the mother/child bond is central to the story thematically…probably because it was written as my own mother was dying from cancer.

Q) Obviously, you have to step away from the computer. What relaxes and reenergizes you?

A) I happen to live in the Pacific Northwest, which is beautiful and great for outdoor stuff like running, walking, and hiking, all of which I love to do. When I can't get outside, I go to the gym and work out with weights or on the treadmill or cross trainer. Aside from that I love to cook, read constantly, and enjoy movies and theater.

The Readers' Writers - 52nd Edition

Yes, indeed. Readers have been welcoming our little column into their lives for the journalistic equivalent of a year. Thank you. For without you, the readers, this column simply wouldn't exist. That's a fact. So, thank you again.

But for a column dedicated to authors and the readers who enjoy them to happen requires a lot of people behind the scenes. Eric Petermann, former editor of the (Freeport) Journal-Standard, first took interest in the concept of interviewing writers, not just doing book reviews. I'd wanted a way to thank authors Sam Reaves and Barbara Sheridan for their mentoring of my story writing. Eric saw potential for a continuing article, and quick as that The Readers' Writers was born.

GateHouse News Service liked what they saw, and a twice-a-month column became a weekly.

Jane Lethlean and Bethany Strunk now spearhead the nuts and bolts of ensuring timely publication, as well as keeping me in line – not always an easy job.

Then, of course, are the authors themselves. Wouldn't be much of a column if there wasn't anyone to interview. Fortunately, the majority of published authors and their agents and publicists (we can't forget those folks) are some of the kindest, warmest people you could spend time with. They really are, and over the last year we've badgered, I mean harangued, uhm… interviewed… fifty-one of them.

From Adrian Dodson, author of one book, to Robert J. Sawyer, one of the most award-winning authors ever, to Charlaine Harris, one of the most recognized authors of our time, writers have availed themselves to us in order to be introduced to you, the readers.

Yes. Basically, I'm just the middleman, the literary maitre d' providing you the best seat possible to a day in the life of our favorite writers. And I thank all of you, readers, writers, and newspaper staff across the country, for the opportunity.

So, what to do, who to interview for this particular edition?

One writer, nearly unknown, yet read weekly from coast-to-coast, hinted that he might be willing to consent. He's a bit of a grouch, hard to live with, and very stubborn. Still, for whatever reason, my wife's remained married to him for sixteen years. Apparently she likes long-term challenges.

His name's KevaD, though we know him better as David "DA" Kentner.

A former army medic, EOD specialist, police officer and police chief, auctioneer, furniture restorer, and antiques dealer, KevaD clearly can't hold a job. But he loves to write – about anything. When not at the keyboard, shoveling snow or mowing their five acres outside Freeport, IL, he's trying to explain to his wife SOAPnet and the Game network aren't the only channels on TV, and that pizza really is a required food group.

Q) "Sunday Awakening" isn't quite like other romantic suspense novels. Where did that story come from?

A) "Sunday Awakening" originated from a news story about a young woman kidnapped at an early age and discovered alive years later. At the same time, documentaries investigating sexual slavery were being aired on TV. I wondered what a contemporary woman raised in bondage would do, what obstacles she would be willing to risk her life to overcome, in order to find the family she's never known, and the life she never had.

My character Cheryl needed a man as strong and courageous as she is, and willing to give his life without hesitation in order to gain her trust – and she doesn't trust easily. Taylor Hughes was as necessary as oxygen, because, in the end, home really is where the heart is, and Cheryl deserved only the finest of hearts to call home.

Q) Where did the name "KevaD" come from?

A) I'd been writing and unsuccessfully submitting novels to agents and publishers for two years. Then I was welcomed into ERAuthors, a writers' critiquing group comprised of new, seasoned, and a couple of bestselling authors. Those folks explained I had a lot to learn. I was a willing student.

I critiqued a chapter for gay fiction author Ash Penn. She asked if I'd ever considered writing gay fiction. I said, no. She said I should, as she was impressed with what I'd suggested. I laughed. Ash insisted. I gulped.

My gay romantic comedy "Out of the Closet" became my first published novella, and continues to be my best selling story. Since I'd taken a step I'd never envisioned, I selected a pen name I felt appropriate – KevaD – Dave K through the looking glass.

Q) I hear you just won a national writing competition.

A) Yes, I did. Thanks for mentioning it.

My short story "The Caretaker" took 1st Place in Calliope magazine's (A Publication of The Writers' Specialized Interest Group (SIG) of American Mensa, Ltd.) 18th annual short fiction contest. The story will appear in their Summer Edition sometime after June.

I hope folks will take the time to read it. I'm obviously pretty proud of that story.

                                                          ~~~~~~~~~~

Ladies and gentlemen, from my heart, thank you so very much for allowing me into your busy lives this past year, and I sincerely hope you will continue to enjoy what we do here.

Medium and Author Maureen Hancock

Maureen Hancock didn't just write a book – this energetic and profound lady lives and embodies every word.

"The Medium Next Door" is an account of Maureen's experiences as a psychic who, in her words, "sees and hears dead people" and the help to individuals and law enforcement she has provided over the years. But it is also a book designed to provide reflection and insight the reader can use to improve their own circumstances and health.

A standup comedian, Maureen infuses her gift of laughter into all she does. Be it with her readings, assisting to locate a lost child, or comforting those grieving, Maureen extols the joys and miracles of life and how each of us can find peace and the strength to move forward.

Children have been and remain a top priority. To that end Maureen co-founded the not-for-profits Seeds of Hope, which provides holistic care for cancer patients and support for parents who have lost children, and Mission for the Missing, providing assistance and equipment in missing children and adult cases.

Though already nationally renowned, Maureen is about to enter all of our homes through a reality TV show scheduled this fall courtesy Disney ABC. So, don't turn that dial, because there is much more to come from Maureen Hancock.
http://www.maureenhancock.com/

Q) What is the one message you hope "The Medium Next Door" leaves with your readers?

A) The one message I hope my book "The Medium Next Door" leaves with my readers is that those that have gone home before us are simply not dead; just different. The bonds of love cannot be broken by this temporary, physical separation. We all have experienced losing a loved one. In my book, I help readers understand that the layers of grief can be peeled away by opening up to the possibility of the continuity of life.

Q) A wife and mother devoted to her family, yet so busy making personal appearances, and now a reality TV show, how do you balance your time with your loved ones?

A) In dealing with death on a daily basis, I've come to realize what a gift each day is. Witnessing families squeezing every morsel of joy out of their remaining time together has helped me to align my own priorities. I made a promise to myself and my family a few years back when I found I was trying to "squeeze in" family time. I now vow to work to live, not live to work. I make sure to schedule my charity work during the day when my children are at school. My events take place a few nights a week after sports, homework and a hot meal. Time is the one thing we will never get back~I choose to use it wisely and carve memories in my heart.

Q) You are on the verge of becoming a "household name," a celebrity recognized everywhere you go. Some handle such notoriety with grace, some spiral out of control. Are you and your family prepared for the inevitable changes fame brings?

A) I will admit I am a bit anxious about becoming a "household name." Thankfully, I am grounded in my life's mission and feel humbled to be able to share my message with the world. I've been offered a handful of television opportunities over the years and am proud to say I turned them down. The time just wasn't right, the networks didn't have my best interest at heart, and my children were too young. I plan to take one day at a time and remain true to my beliefs and my ultimate goal. No matter what road fame takes me down, I will have my boys on one arm and my husband on the other.

Q) To whom or what do you attribute your innate, quick wit and charm?

A) I attribute my quick wit and charm to my mother, Gracie. Growing up she was the loud, boisterous, strong-willed Irish woman who woke me to do chores early on a Saturday morning. I shrank in the front row pew at Sunday Mass as she bellowed hymns at the top of her lungs. At a family function, the whole room would gather around Gracie's table as she told a joke or shared a funny story. I now wake my children to do chores, I sing in the back pew at church, and I attract a crowd at any event as I share her stories which have now become my stories. I hold my head high realizing that I am slowly becoming my mother.

Q) Life is about moving forward, and you have accomplished so very much in your life. What is your ultimate goal? How would you like to be remembered?

A) My ultimate goal in doing this work is to teach people about living life to the fullest before we leave our leased vehicle behind. I hope to relieve the pain of the masses and show people how to open up to infinite possibilities. My vehicle will be public speaking, additional books, and growing my not-for-profit charities. I hope my mission to give back is contagious.

I would like to be remembered as the girl next door with a twist who never judged, loved unconditionally, gave back in humble ways, and touched thousands of lives with her light-hearted message of unending love and life. I hope the dash between my years is in bold and holds many memories my children can be proud of. Oh, and I'd like to be remembered as a kick-arse "Overseas Operator" bridging the gap between here and there.

Award-winning Author Brett Battles

Brett Battles is an author, world traveler, and devoted father. His thrilling tales about a cleaner's exploits encompass the world. A "cleaner" is a person who disposes of bodies so no trace remains of the killing or the crime scene. Jonathon Quinn is Brett's recurring protagonist who contracts with a covert agency to clean up their messes, and usually finds himself embroiled in a mess of his own.

What Brett adds to his creatively crafted plots is a reality far beyond his marvelously twisted imagination. As a lover of travel, Brett includes personal observations into his stories. This compulsion to provide genuineness to his readers extends to his uncommon practice of photographing and videotaping people on the street in order to capture their miniscule quirks and gestures, their unique styles of dress, and their expressions, which he then implants into his characters.

Such devotion to detail has produced acclaimed and award-winning novels such as "The Deceived" and his latest release "The Silenced."

This desire for detail also happened to snap a photograph of Paris Hilton scanning the self-help/relationship section in a bookstore. True story.

Brett's books have been distributed around the world, and his fan base continues to grow. The reason is, Brett Battles' stories draw the reader in to international intrigue, suspense, and danger. When you sit down with one of Brett's books, be it a Quinn tale such as "Shadow of Betrayal" or the Logan Harper thriller "Little Girl Gone," make sure your calendar's cleared. Or, if it isn't, Brett knows a cleaner who just might be able to help you out.
http://www.brettbattles.com/

Q) Your taste for life is eclectic. Your music choices range from Billie Holiday to David Bowie. Movies: from Casablanca to The Matador. What drew your focus to writing suspense-filled thrillers?

A) I’ve been a thriller fan since I was a kid, so it must be something sewn into my DNA. I remember reading stories like ICE STATION ZEBRA by Alistair MacLean and BLACK SUNDAY by Thomas Harris and absolutely loving them.

Q) In "Shadow of Betrayal," you focus on children, some with special needs. You, yourself, have a child with Down's syndrome. Obviously, this book was difficult for you to write. So, why did you?

A) Why? That’s a good question, but one I don’t think I have a clear answer for. I had this scene in my mind before I started, a quiet little scene with Quinn and a child with Down Syndrome. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work, or if I even wanted to do it. That scene did make it into my book, and while it was quick, it may have been one of the hardest I’ve ever written. I got very emotional while I was working on it.

Q) You have adapted quite well to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. How important do you believe similar sites will be to an author's popularity in the future?

A) I think they are very important now, and will be even more so in the future. With the move to more and more people reading ebooks, these online venues become the primary place where authors can connect with the readers and where they can share news about new work. They can definitely be exciting and all consuming, but they are here to stay.

Q) You travel extensively. Does the traveling inspire your stories, or do the stories inspire you to travel?

A) Yes and yes. They feed into each other. Sometimes I’m traveling and a scene will come to me. For instance, I have this image in my mind of Nate (Quinn’s apprentice) standing on a dock along the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok watching the water...that came to me while I was there. Haven’t written it yet, but it will probably be in the next Quinn book. Other times go to a location with a story already in mind and look around for specific locales that will help me out. I did this with THE SILENCED by purposely traveling to London and Paris, knowing the book would be largely set there.

Q) "The Silenced" is the fourth novel for Jonathon Quinn. Do you plan to continue this series, or is Quinn's dangerous lifestyle catching up with him?

A) Definitely will be more Quinn books, but Quinn is also starting to show the strain. In THE SILENCED his past comes into direct contact with his Cleaner life, and that is something he never thought would happen. That’s going to have a big effect on him. Plus he’s been growing slowly disenchanted with his profession, and that’s going to make things interesting. Then there’s his whole relationship with his girlfriend and partner Orlando and where is that going. Plus his apprentice Nate, what does his future hold? This is a long way of saying there’s a lot more to come! I’ll be sitting down to write the next one in a few months, and can’t wait to get back into his world.

Author Jerri Drennen

Born in Nebraska, raised in Minnesota, and now residing in Missouri, author Jerri Drennen is, first and foremost, a wife and mother of four devoted to her family. She is also quite shy and reserved, until she begins adding another story to her list of published novels.

It is then Jerri fills the page with thrilling adventures of love found, lost, recovered, or yet to be in settings such as the bayous of Louisiana, the Florida Everglades, the Amazon jungles, or just about anywhere the reader can imagine. Add in some stolen jewels, a hidden treasure, or a maniacal killer or two on the loose, and you have a peek inside the mind of one of today's up and coming fiction romance writers.

Jerri enjoys writing series such as the Aztec Security series of which "Mauvelous" and "Caddy-Did" are a part of to her latest, the Men of the Jungle series, which houses the attention-getting novel "Untouched," and the just released "Unplanned." And let's not forget the Denver Homicide and Men of the Black Stallion series.

Her gutsy heroines and muscled heroes with theirsometimes-questionable motives are as diverse as the captivating settings. Jerri is well on her way to becoming very established in the world of fiction. So, grab one of her books, turn off the TV, send the kids outside to play, and enjoy the ride right along with her.


http://www.jerridrennen.com/

Q) I've heard you're addicted to yard sales. What's your best find so far?

A) I find treasures all the time, but last year I found this cute little black dress that still had the tag on it, which I paid a dollar for.

Q) You have referred to romance as the "music of your heart." Do you prefer the journey toward love between your characters, or the moment they surrender to their love?

A) I like building up to love more than anything. When the characters are just becoming aware of the sexual tension between them. That's with reading and writing romance.

Q) You are a vegetarian. Do you plant (terrible pun intended) your beliefs in to your characters? Why or why not?


A) I believe I've only had one character who was vegetarian. I love animals, and that was catalyst to me becoming one, but I don't try and sway anyone into the no-meat lifestyle--though both my daughters and one of my son's are vegetarian.

Q) In "Unplanned," you truly are continuing an intriguing subplot started in "Untouched." What inspired you to do that?

A) When I was writing Untouched, I knew I'd have to write Galen's story once I got to know him, though he was a difficult hero to write. Some might even say he's a anti-hero. He hides his pain behind a carefree, unemotional attitude. The man is closed off and afraid to connect with people--especially women because of something dark in his past.

Q) What draws you to writing series and not stand-alone novels?

A) I've been writing series for a long time, though I have written a number of stand-alone as well. My first series was the Department of National Security series, based around a fictitious agency, not unlike the CIA. My reasons for writing them are simply, I have a hard time letting go of characters. I want to keep them around as long as I can, even if that means making them secondary character in the next book.

I want to thank you so much for having me here today!

Pulitzer Nominee Yvonne S. Thornton, MD, MPH

Dr. Yvonne Thornton: First American woman to be accepted into the OB/GYN residency program at The Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, first black woman in the U.S. to be Board-certified in High-Risk obstetrics and to be accepted into The New York Obstetrical Society, established and developed the program for a new form of early prenatal diagnostic testing known as CVS (chorionic villus sampling), outspoken advocate on women's health issues, spokesperson for The March of Dimes, hosted her own television show on women's health, Pulitzer Prize nominee and bestselling author, wife and oh, so proud mother.

Obviously, such a gifted and successful woman had to have been born into a family and circumstances that afforded such opportunities. Dear reader, if you believe that, you are so very wrong... and so very right.

Dr. Thornton and her five sisters are the daughters of father, Donald, and mother, Itasker, whose wealth was the love and determination to succeed they bestowed upon their children. Donald Thornton was a ditchdigger who worked two full-time jobs to put food on the table. Donald's guidance and creed of "Don't let anyone define who you are" instilled the sisters with the understanding that intelligent and educated are not synonyms. And, that by combining intelligence, drive, and courage, any goal is attainable.

Dr. Thornton stands today as the ultimate example of that philosophy.

In the heart wrenching and inspiring novel "The Ditchdigger's Daughters," Dr. Thornton shares her upbringing and the family values that gave her the strength and faith to venture into a world with many doors closed to women, and especially black women.

"Something to Prove: A Daughter's Journey to Fulfill a Father's Legacy" is Dr. Thornton's personal story of how, armed with her father's teachings, she ascended to the top of her field despite setbacks, bias, and a white male-dominated field.

As a result of Dr. Thornton's continuing dedication to helping women "INSIDE INFORMATION FOR WOMEN: Answers to the Mysteries of the Female Body and Her Health" was released this year.
http://www.doctorthornton.com/

Q) A question from my wife: Why did you choose to pursue a career specializing in obstetrics and gynecology?

A) The answer is in my first memoir, The Ditchdigger's Daughters ("The Thornettes"). I didn't choose obstetrics, I think it chose me. At the age of eight years of age, I was witness to a precipitous delivery in an elevator.

Q) You and your husband, though so busy with your distinguished medical careers, both volunteered to serve active duty in the U.S. Navy. Why?

A) That answer is also in my first memoir ("Navy Blue and Black"). However, it was my husband's fervent belief that, as Americans, we should all give back in service to our country.

Q) Excluding family, what would you consider your crowning achievement; the one accomplishment you feel defines your character?

A) I can't exclude my family because they are the essence of my being and my children are my most valued accomplishment. My husband is my champion. After that, being the first black woman in the United States to be Board-certified in High-Risk Obstetrics is my highest professional accomplishment.

Q) I've heard a rumor about a T-bird and its role in some college shenanigans. Care to share a story or two?

A) If you define "shenanigans" as commuting back and forth home from Monmouth College (West Long Branch to Long Branch) in my fabulous 1965 Thunderbird convertible with sequential turning signals, well that was about it.

Q) Your father said, "If you look back and think you did a whole lot then, you're not doin' a damn thing now." So, what's next for Dr. Yvonne Thornton?

A) He is absolutely right!! My plans are to continue my parents' legacy by supporting and encouraging my children to leap and go as high as their talents will allow. As for me, my hope is that the book (The Ditchdigger's Daughters) will be adapted into a Broadway musical (from the page to the stage)!