About eleven years ago, a friend talked me into going to see a psychic. It was an amazing experience; she predicted many things about the future which have come true, including my becoming a full time fiction writer. But she also said I needed to learn patience. Boy, she was she right. I learned to practice patience when it came time for me to find an agent. It was required again when I finally got one and she sent out my manuscript, which seemed to take forever to sell. And now that I’m published, I have to be patient every time I hand in a book and wait to hear back from my editor about revisions (not to mention waiting for my publisher to pay me.) Believe me, none of this has been easy for someone whose blood pressure spikes when it takes a barista more than three minutes to whip up a single latte. But it’s been worth it, because in the process, I’ve learned to be patient with myself when it comes to writing. I now know there are days when my Muse doesn’t want to do her job. But I soldier on, patiently awaiting her return. My…

I’m 46 and I still get crushes. I’m not talkin’ seeing a Russell Crowe movie and thinking,”Hootchie Mama, that’s one fine lookin’ Aussie.” I’m talkin’ lying on my bed mooning. I’m talkin’ trawling the internet for info and pictures. I’m talkin’ the full Tiger Beat treatment. And you know what? I think they play a pivotal role in my writing romance. I got my first crush when I was five. It was Davy Jones of the Monkees. Those big brown eyes. That British accent. Of course, if I’d known he was only 4’3″, I might not have felt the same. But when you’re five, you don’t wonder why your idol is the same height as you. Next? George Harrison. He had the best Beatle hair and I thought he was deep. I actually credit George with launching me on the road to writing romance. In sixth grade, I used to write G-rated stories about me and George. I still have them and they’re hilarious. Then came Pete Townshend of the Who. I know: His nose is so big he could smoke a cigar in the rain; but he’s so smart, with the most gorgeous blue eyes…. Keith Richards of the…