I am a lifelong reader who was inspired by “good books for bad children” such as "Harriet the Spy" and "Otis Spofford." Some of my earliest influences include Agatha Christie, Phyllis Whitney and Joan Aiken. I loved the Trixie Belden mysteries as a child, but discovered, to my dismay, that writing a well-plotted whodunit takes more skill than I had as a young writer. But one of the great aspects of being a writer is that if you work hard at learning your craft, you will get better with age. As Winston Churchill said, "Never give up. Never, never, never."
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