Ten Things About Me You Probably Don’t Know

1. I love to eat with my hands—sandwiches, tacos, fried chicken, raw fruit, etc. The sloppier the better. There is just something pagan about it that brings out the primitive nature in me.

2. My Favorite foods are soups, almost any kind of soup, but bean soups are tops with me and nothing beats a spicy chili. I love the heat, the aroma the hearty goodness.

3. I only watch two programs on TV—Rachel Maddow and any tennis match. If I want to watch a movie, I get them from Netflix. I just can’t stand how the networks dumb down their programming, and I also can’t stand watching commercials.

4. My work schedule is: Writing stories from 7am to noon, Monday through Friday. In the afternoons I read, swim, play tennis, bike ride, spend time with Herman. On the weekends I do book promotion and getting myself organized for the next week of writing.

5. I don’t own an iPad or Kindle. I love books. I love the feel, the smell, the weight of a good book. I know that economics will eventually drive me to an eReader, but not yet. Luckily, I have a wall full of books, half of which I haven’t read yet. I’m rich in books.

6. I’ve been in two long-term relationships. The first was with John Ahrens, and lasted 16 years. The second is with my husband, Herman Chin, and is still going strong after 18 years. Once I find someone who can put up with me, I tend to stay with them for as long as they can stand it. lol

7. My favorite dead author is Steinbeck. My favorite still-living author is Annie Proulx, but I was very impressed with Colm Toibin’s The Empty Family and have bought several of his other works. The verdict is still out on him.

8. I review 40 to 50 gay-themed books per year. Of that number, 10 to 15 I don’t finish and don’t review. I simply refuse to spend my time on books where the author has not learned the basics of their craft.

9. For many years my favorite word was ‘impeccable’ and it showed up often in my writing. These days my favorite word is ‘superlative’ and I try not to use it too often.

10. I don’t publish books to make money, so I’m not overly concerned if they don’t sell well. Thankfully I already have enough dough to get by. I publish my stories in order to share my imagination with whoever wants to partake.