Q. Who inspired you to become a writer?
A. My parents started me out. My mom was an English teacher, so she drilled me on active voice and grammar. She whipped out her red pen and corrected my manuscripts with precision and love. My dad taught me a lot about dedication, perseverance and attention to details. I also had some excellent teachers. My husband supported my self-employed writing ventures from the start. My kids are old enough to read my books, too. I’m more inspired than ever to create books that they like.

Q. How long does it take to write a book?
A. It depends on the book. A shorter book with a few hundred words is sometimes more difficult to write than a longer book with 10,000 words, especially if I’m trying to simplify complex ideas for young readers. Most of the nonfiction books take about a year from the time I start the research to the time they come off the printing press.

Q. Have you actually done all the things you write about?
A. Publishers often assign nonfiction topics. Occasionally, I luck out and know the subject from personal experience—skiing, gardening, or in-line skating, for example. And when I don’t, I happily hit the Internet and local library. Research, interviews and imagination are my main tools. One of my high school teachers said, “You don’t have to know everything. However, you need to know how and where to find what you need to know when you need to know it.”

If he only knew.

Q. What’s your favorite thing to write about?
A. Nearly anything.

Q. Do you use a dictionary a lot?
A. Every day. I use dictionaries on the Internet and several printed dictionaries that I keep near my desk. One of my unabridged dictionaries has 2,230 pages. Sometimes I forget the word I’m looking up, and just meander through the columns of entries.

Q. What kind of computer do you use?
A. I usually write on a Macintosh, because that’s what most designers and art directors use.

Q. Where did the idea for Storm Codes come from? Why is it historical fiction?
A. My grandfather, Harvey C. Almstedt, was the captain of the Edward B. Greene, a flagship of the Cleveland-Cliffs’ Great Lakes fleet. I remember brilliant blue waves that unfurled with red-carpet pageantry ahead of that massive steamship as it churned into the Superior Entry in Superior, Wisconsin. Grandpa’s arrival was always majestic to me. I loved welcoming him home. Those fond memories inspired me to write about the busy shipping days on the Great Lakes. The setting is historically accurate; the characters and story are fiction.

Q. Can you speak to our group?
A. Yes. Contact me via e-mail about available dates.

Q. Can I buy your books from you?
A. The publishers will happily sell books to you. Please contact them directly (look for the publisher links in my Links section). Check your local library, too. If a book is not available, suggest that the library purchase the title.