I started writing after carrying around Barbie dolls became too embarassing. (The dolls are what my friend Kathy and I used to tell our stories.) I wrote throughout high school for fun, to tell the stories I wanted to read but couldn't find. I wrote in college because I'd determined that's what I wanted to do (but didn't understand how to truly BE a writer.) I did take classes on writing, scoffed at things I didn't believe in or understand, didn't listen hard enough to good advice, and generally did my own thing as any young person would do. It's not until now I can look back and think, 'Damn, I wasted so many opportunities to improve!' I finally finished my first book in 2002, after bribing myself with a copy of A&E's version of Pride and Prejudice. Oh, Colin Firth, how I adored you. It's taken me a long time to figure out how to be a writer and an author. In my mind, a writer is someone who writes and an author is someone who pushes herself to write AND publish. I'm still not the best at submitting, though I've learned that asking for and receiving feedback plus editing other writers' works is a tremendous way to improve my own writing. I remind myself constantly to write for fun because I don't ever want to forget why I started writing in the first place: to tell the stories I want to read but cannot find.