As the author, how would you describe your books?
The Fragrant Trail: a Rusty Linden mystery introduces the title character. A murderer kills random victims in the Sydney suburb of Newtown, a haven for non-conformists, and taunts the police with provocative letters. The only clue is an exotic fragrance that permeated the air on the occasion of the first attack. Crime reporter Rusty Linden, who also receives letters from the assailant, conducts some detective work of her own and finds herself in more danger than she ever imagined.

Gossip Column is about the battle for ultimate supremacy between three Hollywood gossip columnists in 1941 and the stars caught in their firing line. The stars try desperately to keep their secrets hidden but are unprepared for the lengths the columnists will go to in their quest to get the scoop on any scandal.

Ashley's Rainbow is another 1940s Hollywood story and follows two young women whose lives intertwine. The first is Pastelle Cheyette, an ambitious starlet who places her career above all else, not realizing just how much she is sacrificing in doing so. The other is Ashley Dann, the daughter of a legendary actress of Hollywood's silent era. Making her own way in the film industry as a costume designer, she refuses to quietly accept her malicious mother's interference in her life. What she fails to foresee however is the treachery her mother will resort to. As her life begins to crumble, she is unable to believe the prediction of her friend and mentor, the great designer Adrian, that at the end of all the heartache there may be a beautiful rainbow lying in wait.

The Talk of the Town is a short story published in the WomanScapes anthology. It too has a 1940s Hollywood theme. One of the era's top stars is confronted with a career ending crisis. She must choose between paying blackmail money or becoming the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. But things aren't quite what they seem and an unexpected turn of events brings a surprising outcome.

Can you tell us the behind-the-scenes story about how your books came into being? What was the germ? How did the characters come to life? Is there a character who still lives inside of you?
The Fragrant Trail : a Rusty Linden mystery... Several things came into play to bring this story into being. I wanted to write a crime novel in which the mystery deepened and suspense continued to build throughout. Having lived in Newtown myself for several years, the vibrancy, color and unorthodox nature of the place embedded itself into my psyche. I just knew I would have to use it as a 'set' for one of my stories and "The Fragrant Trail" seemed to be the right vehicle for it. I also wanted to weave in some of the beauty of Botany Bay, which is just south of Sydney, and the suburbs on its boundaries, into the story as well. I decided to use this area as Rusty Linden's place of residence, so it ended up fitting quite naturally into the story.

Gossip Column... I was intrigued by the power wielded by certain gossip columnists in the 1930's and '40's and the fear they injected into the entire Hollywood community. I began wondering how the stars dealt with it all, what secrets they may have had to hide, what smokescreens they erected. I was particularly interested in the double lives some stars were no doubt forced to lead. The characters of Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper started buzzing around inside my head, then as I focused my attention on the theme, the other characters began to take shape.

Ashley's Rainbow... I wanted to write a Hollywood story that had several themes. I thought it would be interesting to see how things would pan out for a young starlet whose career meant more to her than anything else˜at least in the beginning. Also, as we all know, some stars, like people in all walks of life, are self-centered and quite ruthless when it comes to getting their own way. Their children are often manipulated by them and have to fight to live their lives on their own terms. So that was another theme I wanted to explore. Together with this, Hollywood in the golden era overflowed with artists in all facets of the film industry. I have always admired the artistry of the great costume designers like Adrian, Travis Banton, Irene, Helen Rose and others and wanted to include them somehow in one of my stories. In Ashley‚s Rainbow, I decided to make Ashley herself a designer and the legendary Adrian her mentor. Once I began writing, all these elements came together and propelled the story along.

The Talk of the Town... I got to wondering what impact the threat of blackmail would have on a young actress back in the 1940s who was at the top of her profession. I sketched out the scenario on paper. I didn‚t know at the beginning how it would end. I just let the characters and plot evolve and develop as the story went along.

Can you tell us something about you as a writer, i.e. when you started writing, what's your creative process is like, what inspires you, etc.?
For as long as I can remember I've played out stories in my head and I've always been quite an intense observer of people and situations. I think a lot about things like power, obsession, deceit, self-preservation etc. and put them into my writing.

How do you keep a balance between family, work, and your writing?
I try to live in the moment and I never take anything for granted. This helps me to appreciate the people in my life and all the wonderful things I see around me every day, both in the natural world and the built environment. This in turn keeps things in perspective for me and therefore enables me to achieve a reasonable balance.

Can you tell us something about you as a person?
I live in a bayside suburb of Sydney, Australia. I love going down to the beach early on sunny, still mornings and staring at the glass-like water with its shimmering shades of blue. I enjoy beach and bush walks, reading, visiting art galleries, watching movies, listening to music, writing songs, and playing my ukulele. I also love animals.

If you had a chance to be mentored by one author (living or dead), who would you choose and why?
One of Australia's treasured authors is Amy Witting. Her writing has an underlying honesty about it and displays a remarkable understanding of the human condition. During her life she was a suburban school teacher, a teacher of Aboriginal children in the Outback and a teacher of English to migrants. Everything about Amy is first-rate and I find her a real inspiration, that's why she would be my choice of mentor.

Despite the wisdom that says you can't take it with you, if you could take four things with you when you leave this world, what would they be?
I'd like to take a 1930's or '40's movie (maybe Double Indemnity or Ninotchka or Talk of the Town or ...), my computer (loaded-up with ebooks of course), a music CD, and last but not least, a packet of tea bags.

What is your view of epublishing? What opportunities does it provide for you and for other authors? What do you think is the future of epublishing?
I see epublishing as the medium that will ensure the book maintains its rightful place as both a source of information and as an art form way into the new millennium. Epublishing is an effective way of placing an author's work at the fingertips of potential readers. I love being able to immediately download a book that takes my fancy from anywhere in the world and at any time of the day or night.

What projects are you currently working on?
I'm gathering some ideas together for another novel in the Rusty Linden mystery series and for some short stories as well.