On Writing and Reading…

What do you love most about being a writer?
I can dream romantic dreams all day long and earn my living at the same time in the comfort of my own home.

What do you like least about being a writer?
There isn’t anything I don’t like, except perhaps that I never seem to have enough time to write all of the books I have in mind.

Do you have a favourite locale/setting for your novels? What is it and why is it your favourite?
Europe is my favourite locale for my novels. I lived in France and Switzerland, and have travelled extensively all over Europe, particularly Spain, Italy, the Pyrenees and Sweden.

There are so many gorgeous places, fascinating people, beautiful languages, culture and history, it’s like trying to choose from a fabulous smorgasboard every time I start to write a new story. The tastes, smells, sights, music—all of it speaks to me. Every time!

What is your favourite of the books you have written?
My favourite book is Second-Best Wife. It’s a tale of forbidden love (my favourite scenario), and it takes place in Italy. The idea enchanted me and wouldn’t leave me alone.

What are your all-time favourite books?
Captain from Castile by Samuel Shellabarger
Hawaii by James Michener
Waterfalls of the Moon by Anne Mather
Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell
The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas

On Romance…

Describe the ultimate romantic meal.
My favourite romantic meal would be a bottle of Grapillon and fondue au fromage (the Swiss national dish made with Kirsch).

Imagine two lovers at a candlelit dinner, absorbed in each other. The one who dips the last morsel of bread into the chafing dish of bubbling cheese fondue must fulfill the wish of the other. For dessert dark chocolate cognac truffles.

Where is the most romantic place you’ve ever travelled?
The most romantic place I’ve ever travelled to is an area near Vevey, Switzerland, on Lake Geneva. With the French Alps on one side, and the Jura mountains on the Swiss side, you begin your climb through thriving vineyards, the greenest green meadows, past pines and quaint brown-and-white chalets to fields of wild narcissus blossoming in riotous color.

Far below you stands the Chateau de Chillon, a magnificent medieval castle. The combination of serene blue water, perfumed air, exquisite mountain scenery, and the distant sound of the alpenhorn leads you to believe you have found paradise on earth.

With your lover, a picnic basket, a warm sun, and glorious nature, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.

How do you keep the romance alive in your relationship?
You should continually strive to make your partner happy. To put their happiness before yours brings its own reward, and you are loved in return.

All About Me…

Besides writing, what other talent would you most like to have?
Well, I adore classical music and always wanted to be an opera singer. To be able to sing the part of Aïda, Carmen or Madame Butterfly in French, German, and Italian, and sound like Renate Tibaldi for example, would be truly marvelous.

Who is someone you admire and why?
The person I truly admire is my mother because she is wonderful, intelligent, pure in mind and heart, honest and true, and has always been there for me.

What is your all-time favourite movie?
The Sound of Music.

What is your all-time favorite song or composition?
My favorite composition is Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2. My favourite song is "I’ll Walk with God" as sung by Mario Lanza.

Do you have a good luck charm or superstition?
If you want to call it a superstition, I believe the sleep before midnight is the sleep that counts, so I get up early and go to bed early.

Share one of your favourite indulgences with us.
One of my favourite indulgences is Frigor chocolate from Switzerland. I get it about once every two or three years when someone travels to Europe. It’s a velvety chocolate made with a hazelnut paste.

What quality do you most admire in a man?
Kindness.

What is the most unusual or unique gift you’ve ever received?
The most unusual gift I have ever received was a Utah Jazz NBA basketball signed by all the players including Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Jeff Hornecek. Since I’m a big Jazz fan, I treasure it.

What is the one thing you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the courage to try?
I love to speed in my car, and I’ve always wanted to try Formula One car racing, but I’ve never had the courage to get involved.

What is your ideal travel destination?
I would fly straight to Paris, France, to walk around my favourite haunts on the Boule Miche.

Then I’d take the bullet train to Provence on the Mediterranean for a week in the Midi sunshine.

Next I’d drive at a leisurly pace to Switzerland for a month’s stay in Lausanne, at the Château D’Ouchy on Lake Geneva.

If you couldn’t be a writer, what would you be?
If I couldn’t be a writer, I guess I would continue to be a teacher of foreign languages and history.