My major influences are my four children.  They range in age from twelve to eighteen, so every day is, shall we say, interesting.  Since I began writing about eight years ago, I have seen my youngest through kindergarden and my oldest off to college.  I enjoy writing for children because they have few preconcieved notions about life.  Children tend to have a much easier time getting lost in a story and filling my visions as a writer with their own wonderful interpretations.  I run story ideas by my twelve year old daughter and thirteen year old son --  talk about refreshingly different points of view!  I suppose I would have to say that I write mostly for myself.  I am in the process of self-publishing my first novel, and am working on a sequel to to that.  I also have another project in the works.  Perhaps some day I will hit it big, but for right now, I simply live to write the story.