I was fortunate in 1980 to meet Shaker Heights, Ohio Fire Chief William Pickford, who allowed me to interview firefighters for a nonfiction book I planned to write about the fire service. But I quickly learned that I was an "outsider" at a time when women were not welcome in the firehouse. I had to earn the trust of each firefighter and when I finally became part of their "firehouse family," I felt as if I'd received a very high honor. Through my novels, I try to show some of the stresses common to all firefighters, no matter where they live or the time period in which they live. These are more...
