Well, I'd always loved to draw. What I tended to do was draw "stories" ... that is, I'd have these images that seemed part of some story I didn't know how to tell, and so I'd draw it out as pictures. I started doing this at a very young age, and continued through school, winning awards and garnering praise for my artwork. Oddly enough, I lost confidence in myself in Jr. High (Middle School), to the point where I stopped drawing entirely. But I'd always been an artist, so I assumed that was what I'd continue to be. I attended the California College of Arts and Crafts after getting some of my basic college work done at a community college. However, I really didn't learn anything practical at art school, let alone how to find a job as an illustrator, which is what I wanted to do. I made up an entire portfolio of "mock" science fiction and fantasy book cover illustrations and took it to New York. I rode the subway around and dropped my portfolio off with art directors. Not one of them was interested. I never got a single call. (I now know that it's even harder to break into cover illustration than it is in writing!) So, I had various secretarial and clerical jobs (most of which I hated), lived in Canada for three years, and then returned to the U.S., where I actually was hired to illustrate a book. Then that fell through, and I was unemployed. At this point, I'd been involved in the "fandom" of the TV show "Beauty and the Beast," and had written my one and only novella for a fanzine I helped to edit. A friend, who had a multi-published sister, read the story, and suggested I write a romance novel. The rest, as they say, is history! I'm so glad, now, that I became a writer rather than an artist, so that I can tell the whole story rather than just the fragments I drew as a child.

Question: The covers of Touch of the Wolf, Once a Wolf and Secret of the Wolf have all been beautiful. Do you think the cover of a book is important? Do you feel the cover can help or hurt the sales of a book?

I do think a cover is very important--after all, I had wanted to be a cover artist myself! I have been extremely fortunate in having the wonderful artist Franco Accornero doing my last several covers. He's marvelous, and I even purchased "prints" from him to hang on my walls. (Since he does it all on computer, he can "print out" full color copies on canvas.) I have no doubt that the worst cover I ever had, for PRINCE OF DREAMS (my "vampire" novel), hurt my sales on that book quite a bit.

Question: How long does it usually take you to complete a manuscript? Do you have a set writing schedule you follow everyday? Are you a very disciplined writer?

Thus far, it's taken me a year to complete a manuscript from basic concept through research and to completion and revision, including editor revisions. However, I hope to be writing three books over the next two years; it'll be a challenge for me, but I think the time is right. I have a definitely daily schedule. Every weekday, I do my e-mail in the morning, stop to exercise, and then begin my serious writing. My best time to work is in the afternoon. I try to complete a minimum of 6-7 manuscript pages a day, and I write a reasonably "clean" first draft. I think one MUST be disciplined if one hopes to earn money as a writer.

Question: With the release of SECRET OF THE WOLF this month, do you have another book in the works?

Yes ... it's another historical fantasy romance, non-werewolf, set in Regency England. It's called THE FOREST LORD. I'm completing it as I write this. It was fun to set a story during the Regency, which is a period that has always interested me. In fact, my first romances as a reader were Regencies, beginning with Georgette Heyer. But it has been a real challenge to try to get the details right! Though it's not a werewolf romance, it has animals, shapeshifting, and the same "otherworldly" elements of my werewolf stories. My next book after that, which I hope to start soon, will be another in the werewolf series.

Question: You've written two futuristic romances, KINSMAN (Out of this World-anthology) and
STAR CROSSED. Do you enjoy creating new worlds that this genre allows? Any plans for a new futuristic, maybe set in the same world as Kinsman?

I love writing futuristics ... it's one of my absolute favorites. I come from a science fiction and fantasy reading background, so this kind of story is fun and natural for me. I am definitely considering a full-length novel set in the "Kinsman" universe, perhaps featuring the son of the hero and heroine from "Kinsman." It will be part of my proposal for the next three books. We'll see if it works out!

Question: When you have the time what do you do for fun or relaxation?

I have taken up a new hobby ... xeriscape gardening in the large back yard of our new home in Albuquerque. I also love to read, of course, though I get so little time these days! I like to "veg" in front of the T.V. in the evenings with an old movie or one of my favorite TV shows, such as LAW AND ORDER or ANDROMEDA. I also love to get out into nature, hiking in the desert or mountains of New Mexico.

Question: Is there anything you would like to add to this interview?

I'm grateful to all the readers who have bought my books, and to those who've written me about them. I always love to hear from readers and I promise I'll answer, even if I'm a bit slow! Readers can write to me at P.O. Box 51924, Albuquerque, NM 87181, or at skrinard@aol.com. My website, with newsletters and information about forthcoming releases, is http://members.aol.com/skrinard.

Thank you so much Sue for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview. I really appreciate it, and I'm certainly looking forward to reading THE FOREST LORD.