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FAQ

• Q. What are the most memorable locations you've visited researching your novels?
  A. Ah, as I mentioned before: to write is to travel! I’ve been lucky to dive the Great Barrier Reef t ... Read More
  A:

  Ah, as I mentioned before: to write is to travel! I’ve been lucky to dive the Great Barrier Reef to walk the tombs of China and to explore the coastal rainforests of Australia. More than anything writing has opened up the world...and I want to share my experiences through my writing. To take people to exotic locales, to mysteries of our ancient past, to share the thrills hidden in the corners of the world. That’s the best part of writing!

• Q. Women enjoy reading your novels, do you attribute this to your stories or to the fact that so few contemporary novelists writing adventure fiction feature notable female characters?
  A. I think the role of women in popular fiction is rapidly evolving. We’re seeing a whole new slew of ... Read More
  A:

  I think the role of women in popular fiction is rapidly evolving. We’re seeing a whole new slew of women in strong roles: from mysteries, to hard-nailed crime fiction, to science fiction and fantasy, to even adventure fiction. But I think ultimately the success of a book boils down to a good story with believable and sympathetic characters. If you create that in your novel, readers—male or female—will find something inside to touch, thrill, and move them.

• Q. In your previous novels, you've written strong, well-educated, and adventurous female characters. Is it easier to write male or female characters?
  A. When I first created Ashley, my heroine in SUBTERRANEAN, I purposefully wanted to create a female ve ... Read More
  A:

  When I first created Ashley, my heroine in SUBTERRANEAN, I purposefully wanted to create a female version of Indiana Jones. A spunky, no-holds-barred archaeologist who just happened to be a woman with a young child. I so enjoyed playing against the common stereotypes found in adventure fiction that I’ve included strong women in all my books. But which is easier? I think its actually easier to develop three-dimensional women, rather than men, because men keep their hearts more deeply hidden. It’s harder to show their vulnerabilities.

• Q. You mention scuba diving and archaeology as two of your interests? Were you able to indulge your passion for these activities while researching/writing Deep Fathom?
  A. I always considered writing as a way to write-off trips. For DEEP FATHOM, I went diving on the Great ... Read More
  A:

  I always considered writing as a way to write-off trips. For DEEP FATHOM, I went diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and spent a month in China touring the countryside.

• Q. How did you come up with the story?
  A. After writing SUBTERRANEAN, where I indulged my interest in caving, I always wanted to do something ... Read More
  A:

  After writing SUBTERRANEAN, where I indulged my interest in caving, I always wanted to do something with my other passion: scuba diving. So at the back of my mind, I was very tuned to plots involving the deep sea. And one day while reading about the mythology of the Polynesian islands and the different theories of migration of peoples through the region, a story slowly arose about a long-lost civilization with an ancient technology that resurfaces to threaten our own.

• Q. How long did it take you to write?
  A. From initial research to completed manuscript, it took a solid year. ... Read More
  A:

  From initial research to completed manuscript, it took a solid year.

• Q. What steps did you do to take Deep Fathom from an idea into a novel?
  A. I usually start with a “what if?” idea. In the case of Deep Fathom, “what if an ancient power ... Read More
  A:

  I usually start with a “what if?” idea. In the case of Deep Fathom, “what if an ancient power source imbedded on the ocean floor were suddenly activated by the radiation from a solar storm. From that point, I assemble the cast of characters, build in a global crisis, and thread in subplots and internal conflicts. During this time, I research heavily—in libraries, on the Internet, through interviews. Once all is ready, I begin to write.

• Q. When did you begin writing Deep Fathom?
  A. I began the initial research back in 1999, then wrote the novel in the latter half of 99 and finishe ... Read More
  A:

  I began the initial research back in 1999, then wrote the novel in the latter half of 99 and finished in mid-2000. Hence, the post-Millennial slant to the opening of DEEP FATHOM.

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