“A character is never the author who created him. It is quite likely, however, that an author may be all his characters simultaneously.” – Albert Camus

I thought I would answer the top three questions that readers ask me:

1. Where do you get your story ideas? Do you write about your own life?

Never lose sight of the fact that all writers are poachers. This is a kinder, gentler word for thieves. Nothing is safe around a writer. Bluntly stated, we steal things: a name, a laugh, an overheard conversation, and the color of the wing chair in the local funeral home. Rosemary Sheerin’s ankles actually belonged to my own mother.

The plot for MacCullough’s Women draws heavily from the stories that I heard while attending support groups as a young widow. Those tearful conversations were full of surprises. The storyline in the book is an old one, used many times before, and still playing out today in front of the world in a courtroom in North Carolina. It explores human frailties and where they lead us.

2. Do you have a favorite character?

I am the mother of an only child and she is my favorite. I never understood how it could be true when I would hear mothers of more than one (including my own mother and my mother-in-law) say that they did not have a favorite. Now, as a writer who created several characters and sent them into the world, I understand. Some of my characters make more sense to me than others, but I love them all.

3. What is the most difficult thing about being a writer?

The most difficult thing for me is finding the time to write. I have a day job, a house, a husband and a very demanding English Cocker Spaniel. I also have a sad list of shoulds: exercise, garden, learn French, ride my bike, do yoga and meditate.

Once again, being a thief is helpful because I steal time to write, fitting it in whenever I can find an empty minute. I get up very early and write until it is time to go to work. I try to add a couple of pages at lunch and I edit in the early evening.

The second most difficult thing about being a writer is where to put the commas. The last time I counted, I owned nine books on grammar. All purchased with the intention of teaching me comma usage. Still, I am editor’s despair, as my first instinct is to treat this particular punctuation mark like chocolate chips and fold them in everywhere.