I AM OFTEN ASKED THESE QUESTIONS

 
Why a woman protagonist?

"I grew up with brothers and sisters. So I learned early that my sisters could go directly from wrestling me off my feet to pretending helplessness with their boyfriends. A woman's personality is infinitely more faceted than a man's-and frankly, more interesting. And a woman's toughness is for real, not for show."


Why set a crime novel series in the 1950s?

"My novel begins in the 1950s because I wanted my young female protagonist challenged by a world formed by late nineteenth and early twentieth century attitudes toward women that Rosie the Riveter had just knocked silly. Women of the Eisenhower era were much more restless than Ozzie & Harriet would have had people believe, and I wanted to tap into that with a strong, young female protagonist who could represent that unconventional spirit."


Why Texas?

"And Texas-I was attracted to the limitless space, astonishing contrasts, and the spirit of individualism so omnipresent in that great state-to say nothing of a wild and wooly lifestyle that includes concealed weapons."