The Basics: My husband and I live in Houston with a rambunctious schnauzer. We have two kids, but, as kids are prone to do, they grew up and moved out. I miss them but, hey, the upside is that I now have more room in the house for my clutter of files.
My Career: A late bloomer, I finished college in my early thirties, and I've spent nearly twenty years writing for magazines. It's been a lot of fun, and, in the process, I've contributed more than 100 articles to national magazines that include: Ladies' Home Journal, TV Guide, Rolling Stone, Texas Monthly, Seventeen, MORE, Town & Country, and Readers' Digest.
Although I travel often to do research, Texas is not only my home but my favorite subject. I began my career at the late-but-great Houston City Magazine. That's where I covered my first murder case, the incredible story of a deadly love triangle in The Big Thicket, the wide expanse of pine forests that blends Texas into Louisiana. From that point on, I was hooked. One of my favorite pieces appeared in Rolling Stone in March, 1988: "Blues and Bad Blood." It recounted the brutal murder of Texas folksinger John Vandiver and his girlfriend. Sad story but amazing tale, mixing music, drugs, and violence. I'm still pretty proud of that one. (Click here or on Bonus above to read the article.)
After that, I concentrated on Texas socialites for two years, as the editor of Ultra, a state-wide, monthly magazine that catered to the well-heeled set. I was never really the diamonds-and-caviar type, so it was way out of my niche, but, hey, it was fun, and I went to the most extravagant parties. No doubt they cost more than I made those years. Since then, I've written articles on everything from infertility to the McCaughey septuplets, interviewed celebrities including four first ladies and a president, and had more than my share of unforgettable experiences. In fact, I've covered many of the biggest stories in recent history, including interviewing victims in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and Oklahoma City days after the bombing. Not long after September 11, I traveled to New Jersey to talk with Lisa Beamer whose husband, Todd, uttered that famous battle cry "Let's Roll."
I was looking for a good subject for my first book in 1992 when I interviewed Linda Bergstrom for a magazine article. I knew immediately that I had found the right case. The result: EVIL BESIDE HER (formerly titled THE RAPIST'S WIFE). Following that, along came Susan White, Kent McGowen and A WARRANT TO KILL. Then I was off to Austin for the next three books, the first SHE WANTED IT ALL, on the Celeste Beard case, followed by DIE, MY LOVE, on the Piper Rountree case, set in Austin/Houston/ and Richmond, Virginia. My most recent true crime book, A DESCENT INTO HELL, on the Colton Pitonyak case, is a truly tragic Austin case, deeply troubling. The research took me into the world of college kids, drugs, sex, and guns. In DESCENT, three college-age kids with the whole world ahead of them slide into dangerous territory, and two end up committing a terrible, terrible crime.
Finally, after two decades covering crime, I've relied on my experiences and expanded into fiction. The result: SINGULARITY, my first novel, published by St. Martin's Minotaur in July 2008. The first in a series, SINGULARITY introduced Lieutenant Sarah Armstrong, the Texas Rangers' lone profiler, as she hunts a seriously strange killer. The case quickly takes over Armstrong's life and nearly destroys her.
Already finished, book number two in the series: BLOOD LINES, due in stores in July 2009.
What's next? I'm finishing up a new true crime book, SHATTERED, on Houston's David Temple case, and I'm working on the third book in the Sarah Armstrong series, not yet titled.
I do enjoy the writing, and I sincerely hope you enjoy the reading!
