After spending too many years to count in the high stress business world, I'm thrilled to be living my dream of writing passionate romance. Now I get to write in my pajamas while surrounded by yipping little dogs that I adore but who drive me crazy. I'd like to say I lead a glamorous life, but it's all too normal. I still have to do laundry, dishes and feed my family, but wouldn't have it any other way - okay, admittedly, servants would be nice...hehehe

I live in Oklahoma with my husband, Charlie, who inspires me to create stories about sexy, stubborn alpha males who don't always do what the heroine wants them to. I have a teenaged stepdaughter who is my shopping buddy extraordinaire, and two grown sons who live on the west coast that I miss terribly but fortunately get to see when time and air travel permits.

I am a multi published author who writes in many genres. I write for Bantam Dell, Berkley, Ellora's Cave and Samhain Publishing. I have been fortunate to win several awards, including the Romantic Times BookReview Magazine's Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Erotic Paranormal.

I am a member of Romance Writers of America, Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal's RWA Chapter, Passionate Ink and Romance Writer's Ink.

How do you pronounce your name?

Believe it or not, I get this question a lot. And a lot of people pronounce the name incorrectly. It's pronounced J C, or like jayyyyyyseeeeeee. NOT like Jackie.

How long have you been writing?

I dabbled in writing seemingly forever, but I didn't start seriously writing until I met my husband Charlie in 2001. He and I were talking one day and I brought up that I used to write. He wanted to know why I stopped, and encouraged me to start again. So it's because of him that I became a writer again.

How many books did you write before you sold your first book?

I wrote 7 books before selling my first. I had targeted a few mainstream publishers that just weren't right for me at first, then I stumbled on Ellora's Cave, a perfect fit for my brand of writing. They published edgy stories with lots of steam, just what I enjoyed, and I was very lucky to be offered a contract with them.

When did you publish your first book?

My first book, Paradise Awakening, was published by Ellora's Cave in September of 2001.

What's your typical writing day like?

There are typical writing days? Mine are anything but typical. Some days I write a ton. Other days I write nothing. I'm a slave to the muse. Some days she's present and pounding at me to get words on a page. Other days she's more elusive and I have to go hunting for her. Then she makes me beg before she'll let me write. Oh, she's vicious. *g*

Then there are times when a book is finished and I'm working on revisions or proposals, so I could go a couple months without writing something new. I hate that part.

What's your favorite genre?

Tough question, because my favorite genre varies. I love, love love paranormal! But if I wrote nothing but paranormal I'd get bored, so I like to switch to contemporary too. Those are probably my two favorite genres right now. I like slipping into world building and fantasizing the what if's associated with vampires and werewolves and demons and building a romance around larger than life characters. And then I also love the dynamics of passion and romance in a contemporary setting, of taking our ordinary existence and making something truly exciting happen to the characters.

And then there are the faeries and elves of fantasy and the other worlds of futuristics. That's probably why I genre hop, because it lets me dabble in different stories and scenarios and keeps me from getting bored.

What is your worst ‘bad habit' when it comes to your writing?

Procrastinating…

Where do you get the ideas for your books?

Everywhere and anywhere. A character in a tv show will inspire me. Sometimes it's just a title I see in a magazine or in a newspaper. Or a random thought pops into my head. The ‘what if' game is fun for coming up with story ideas, too. Ideas come from all different places and can quickly blossom into a story.