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What do you enjoy most about writing as part of a continuity series; how does it differ from writing a single title?

Writing is a solitary job. When you’re writing a single title, you’re on your own with your story and your characters all the way through. Being part of a continuity means having contact with other writers. Although you’re still writing the book on your own, you have the opportunity to share those ups and downs that come with every book and you couldn’t find a better bunch of people to share those moments with than the Modern^™ authors. We started an e-mail loop so that we could voice any thoughts and ideas and ensure that what we were creating individually also made sense as a whole. Working with them and having that extra contact was great fun.

What do you think makes a great hero/heroine?

For me, a great hero has to have strength and bravery and by that I mean the ability to face up to anything life throws at him. I want to know that if things get tough he’s going to be right by the heroine’s side fighting for what they share, not walking away.

I like a heroine who can take care of herself and doesn’t allow herself to be pushed around, but also someone who enjoys being a woman and isn’t afraid to show her feminine side.

When you are writing, what is a typical day?

I start by checking my e-mails and dealing with anything urgent that has popped into my inbox overnight. Then I look at my schedule and check whether I have any other commitments in terms of blogging, etc. I don’t have my own blog so I blog in other places, but that means remembering to keep track of where and when so that I can be around to comment and chat with people.

Having organised my day, I switch off the main phone (my kids have a different number they can call me on in an emergency) and then settle down to write without disturbance. I try to resist the temptation to read over the beginning of the book every time and instead write fresh, pushing the story forward. I give myself a minimum daily word count so that I can be sure I’ll meet my deadline. I take a short break for lunch and sometimes I’ll go for a quick walk. Once a week I have lunch with friends—it’s a great way to unwind and I often find it easier to work out plot problems when I’m relaxed and with other people.