I write with dogs wrapped around my feet. I get to wear sandals or bedroom slippers to work, and old, comfortable clothes. When the weather is fine I get to write on my back porch. I love summer.
I write mysteries and fantasies because life is too short to be limited to one genre.
I started getting published when I was 12, studied journalism at Northern Illinois University, then went to work as a news reporter…eventually for Scripps Howard, where I managed their Western Kentucky bureau. Getting itchy feet, I moved to Wisconsin and went to work for TSR, Inc., the then-producers of the Dungeons & Dragons game. I dipped my itchy feet into the fiction pool and wrote Dragonlance novels for several years. Now I’m back in Illinois, my land surrounded by train tracks that offer music to write by. And there are plenty of dogs in the neighborhood to provide an accompaniment.
I am a recipient of the Faust, the grand master award of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers, and the Illinois Author Project’s Soon-to-be Famous Award.
I’ve been on the USA Today’s Bestseller list a few times … ah, I’ve never hit the Times.
I’ve written more than forty SF, fantasy, mystery, and adventure novels (including a couple of ghosted projects), more short stories than I care to count, and I’ve edited magazines and anthologies.
When I’m writing I listen to classical guitar and 60s rock … depending on my subject matter. And at every good opportunity I toss tennis balls for my cadre of dogs.
- Always hire a copy editor to make sure everything is caught.
- How can you not afford an editor?
- Read the manuscript backwards for editing purposes.
- Buy ads - compare and contrast where is going to be best per novel.
- Once a month newsletter for Jean!
THIS EPISODE WAS ORIGINALLY BROADCAST ON FEBRUARY 17, 2024 ON TWITCH.TV/LDK_PODCAST