1.) How long have you been writing creative fiction? 

I began writing in 1998.  I never thought I could write anything but poetry.

2.) What is your favorite fan fiction story you have written and why? 

I’d have to say the Jan/Mel series that begins with The Grecian Affair, continues with Resistance and Resurrection and finally ends with Reflections in a Golden Eye has to be my favourite story that I’ve written.  I got completely immersed in the research, taking me to places I never thought existed.  Like the Dutch underground, for instance.  By Resistance and Resurrection, the characters had morphed into entities that were very different than the characters created by Rob Tapert et al.

3.) What got you interested in Xena and writing fan fiction? 

I read a story that had a very unsatisfying ending.  I wasn’t happy with it and thought I’d try my hand at fixing the ending.  It was written for my own use, of course, and I never shared it with anyone.  Don’t know where it is or what the original story was, unfortunately.  Then I felt confident and tried a short story here and there, all on Xena and Gabrielle.  I shared them with some online people I was beginning to know and they suggested a fan fiction site.

4.) How has Xena changed your life? 

As hoky as it sounds, the show made me finally accept my alt sexuality.  I suppose it might have been the beautiful Lucy Lawless in leather.  Whatever it was allowed me to finally break the bonds placed on me by fear, society and family expectations.  I have been in a committed relationship with a woman I met online for nearly six years now.  We both met on Missy Good’s Merwolf site.  Sometime I’ll tell you about that.

5.) What colors ur tooth brush? 

I use an electric toothbrush – blue and white.

6.) If you could be any super hero who would you be and why? 

I’d probably be Superman.  He is decent, dependable, honourable and has muscles I’d love to have.  He has great powers, too.  I’m imagining what the world might be like if I could show the governments of the earth the future they are Hell bent in creating.  He’s got that broad shoulder/rugged jaw thing going, too.  I always picture my inside self as looking like a cross between Tom Selleck and Pierce Brosnan.  Now give me a cape, body suit and tights. ;)

7.) Why and when did you start writing? 

I’m assuming you mean writing original fiction?  I guess I awoke my muses after writing Xena fiction for a few years.  I wrote a long story, Conqueror’s Harvest, that took me a year to compete.  In it, I discovered this other character that just screamed, ‘Let me talk, damnit!’ so I did.  That was Dray Khalkousa from my novel Inferno.

8.) How do you have time to WRITE so many stories at once? 

Well, I used to be able to write like a fiend, pumping out lots of stories and poetry.  Now I’m busy writing the sequel to my first published novel, Inferno.  I’ve also written a nice sized manuscript of short stories that is with a publisher now.

9.) How do you get your inspiration? 

I believe in writing what you know.  I use my life, my children and my love for my partner as inspiration.  I’m ADHD so I multi-task quite a bit.   That makes it easy to soak up all sorts of things without even knowing it.  Then it percolates and brews into something I can form into a story or poetry and sometimes both.

10.) How long have you been writing? 

I’ve always written poetry but never wrote a story until 1998.

11.) What story/series are you most proud of?

Jan/Mel series.

12.) Do you get hate mail and how do you handle those? 

I’ve had a few interesting posts dealing with how I turned the Conqueror Xena into a monster.  But she gets saved in the end.  I’ve also had some flames aimed my way because I write gay poetry.  Can’t please everyone. I usually try to find out why the writer is upset.  Then a dialogue can happen and things get cleared up.  People who just want to vent but not listen get one post to explain my position.  If the flames continue then I just don’t answer.

13.) How about do you get any HATE mail from readers? 

See above.

14.) What's the best piece of advice you got when you were starting out as a writer? 

Don’t take anything personal when it comes to constructive criticism.  And never give up.  If you believe in your story or poem, then stick with it.

15.) How do you lay out your stories? 

I usually try to frame out the plot but sometimes get too busy fleshing out the characters.   Sometimes I awaken from a dream and quickly write it down before it’s lost.  Complete scenes can appear that way.  Scary.

16.) Do you have an ending before you start writing, or does it reveal itself to you as you write? 

Both, depends on the characters and how things are proceeding.

17.) How do you get beyond just an idea? 

Research.

18.) How does an idea become a story?  

While I’m doing research I come across some really interesting items, especially when the subject is WW2.

19.) What suggestions do you have for creating self-discipline at writing? 

I have three very active kids – I write when I get the chance.  Set aside a chunk of time at some point during the day and make it YOUR time to write.  It can be difficult to maintain but it’s really worth it.

20.) Which story/series has gotten the most response from fans? 

People still write to me about Conqueror’s Harvest, wanting me to continue the story.  It is what it is, no additions.  At least not at the present time.

21.) Do you like to write X&G stories or uber/original stories better? 

I haven’t really written either for about two years now.  Well, Heat was a short story about Jan and Melinda and I wrote that last year sometime.  I guess I enjoy uber a tad more than X/G.

22.) Do you envision a story before you write it, or does the story just un-fold as you write it? 

An item in the paper, on the news, even a long lost memory can inspire a short story or create a character.  I’m blessed in that I have a wonderfully interesting family and circle of friends.  Never a dull moment and great fodder for stories/poetry.  But yeah, sometimes things unfold after I begin, and can turn into something quite unexpected.

23.) When you've finished with the story/book do you miss those characters that you've written about? 

Oh, they never leave, not really, they just occupy a different part of my head drive until their ‘voices’ get too hard to ignore.

24.) If you could have dinner with anyone who would it be and why? 

Well, I’d love to have spent some time with Katharine Hepburn.  She was such a wild character, breaking down all sorts of barriers for women.  She was very honest and forthright.  I admire that.  She didn’t pull any punches either.  She was a woman who lived her life as a man, really.  She said that in an interview one time, explaining that she refused to fit into the mould society had for women and had instead lived free and unencumbered, much as a man does.   Sounds so easy now but it was very difficult for a woman do it back in the 40s.

25) Who is your favorite Xmen??? 

Wolverine, I suppose.

26) Who is your favorite super hero of all times?...IE...batman, superman, wonder woman?? 

I’ve always been a fan of both Ironman and Batman because they are such tormented characters.

27) Years from now, how would you want to be remembered?

I’d like to be remembered as a serious author, both of fiction and poetry.

28) What is your pet peeve?

People who just don’t care about driving regulations.  Turn signals, for instance or disobeying speed zones near a school.

29) What are your dreams? Hopes? Wishes?

I want to be taken seriously as a Canadian poet.  I’d love to live in a world where equal means EQUAL, straight across the board.  I hope that day comes within my lifetime.  I wish I could win the lottery.   Then I’d travel and boy, just think of the inspiration then!

30) What is a necessity for every writer in your opinion?

A great imagination.

31) What's your favorite quote? Why and how does it affect you?

"The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving." Oliver Wendell Holmes

32) What makes your best friend your best friend?

She understands me, accepts me, and loves everything about me, warts and all.  She doesn’t expect anything and gets it all.

33) Who is your real life hero and why?

Christopher Reeves because he triumphed over extreme adversity and never gave up.  He had a quiet strength, very much like the Superman character he portrayed.

34) Why do fools fall in love?

We fall in love simply because to live without it is no life at all.

35) When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? 

I’ve always wanted to be a poet.  I guess I began thinking seriously about being an author after I wrote Stoic Warrior.   The beauty and strength of the written word was found and appreciated as I worked my way through it.

36) What significance, if any, is there in the title?  

Choosing a title is a person thing.  It will usually make itself known at the end of writing a book or poem.  Sometimes it appears before it’s written because it totally encompasses an idea or range of thought that will actually become the inspiration for the story/poem/character.

37) Can you see the book as a feature film?

I can really see Inferno as a movie so easily.  At this point, I think I’d be forced to make both main characters heterosexual.  I don’t want to do that.  I think a story can stand on its own regardless of the genre if it’s written well enough.

Questions from BT ((strongsouljah)......

There is usually an underlying problem that creates the block.  In my case, it appears under the weight of extreme stress.