Friendship is an important theme in women's fiction, and Deceiving Elvera focuses on one of those pairings that's accidental and unlikely but nevertheless firm and long-lasting. I've been lucky enough to have several of those in my lifetime, the kind that take up even after long stretches without contact. Whenever you meet, you're back to where you were at twelve or twenty or forty, sharing stories and enjoying the feeling of being with someone who "gets" you.

Writing a book requires different...

The second of the Kidnap Capers is Pharma Con. This one took a great deal of research, and I learned a lot about the medicine we are offered in this country. Since I wrote the book, it's become a bigger and bigger issue, and our current HHS secretary has some interesting ideas that seem to come from nowhere. I don't even want to be a health care expert, but if I had to fix things I'd be every bit as qualified to do so as RFK is, and I would not take the path he's taking.

That said, medicine is...

Some books have to be chalked up as disappointments, and FAKE is one of them. I love the story, love the ways the characters' telling of their views lead the reader into an understanding of both their crimes and their motivations. Those who have read it seemed to like it too, since the reviews are positive. One person commented on the "great" cover, the wolf in sheep's clothing that represents the main character, Kip. But nothing much happened with sales.

When I'm being philosophical, I can...