I've been telling stories since I was a little girl. My parents encouraged this, so did a number of my teachers. I've also been an avid reader my entire life. A number of writers shaped my thinking, but my writing style may have been most influenced by reading German literature--Kafka, Mann, Goethe--in high school. I read thrillers and mysteries to escape. This is a habit that started when I discovered John LeCarre at age 14. I make a habit of visiting bookstores when I travel abroad and buying mysteries by local authors. That's how I discovered Ian Rankin and Ruth Rendell. My favorite livin more...