F.A.Q.

Do you have a pet?

The answer, I’m afraid, is no. I have a reason: I’m allergic to animals with fur. That stopped my kids from asking for a pet  - until my son figured out a way around it. He said, “Can I have a snake then? Snakes don’t have fur.” That’s when I realized that there are actually two reasons I don’t have a pet. Some animals I’m allergic too. Some just give me the creeps.

Where did you get the idea for PIGBOY?

Usually, I get an idea for a story and present it to my editor. If he/she likes it, I’ll write the book. PIGBOY worked in a slightly different way. My editor called me up and said he needed a short, funny book for middle-schoolers. He wanted it to appeal to boys and to have an adventure in it. He asked me if I had any ideas. I said that I’d call him back. Then I sat down at my computer and worked at coming up with a story for him. It was almost like my teacher had given me a project to do. I think I came up with three or four ideas. We both liked PIGBOY the best – so that’s the one I did.

Why did you make PIGBOY take place at a farm?

Because I wanted the action to happen somewhere isolated. If there were adults around and phones and people Dan could run to for help, he wouldn’t have had to be the hero. I think everyone wants Dan to save the day!

Did you have fun writing PIGBOY?

I did. I especially laughed at the part  where Dan is having the allergy attack. I knew exactly what he was going through. When I was in my twenties, a guy asked me out on a date. He showed up at my door, wearing a huge amount of an aftershave which I turned out to be allergic to.  You remember how Dan was sneezing in that barn? Imagine me, all dressed up, and sneezing like that at a movie theatre…Never heard from that guy again.

Are you married?

Yes, I am and I have three children. My son is 22 and my daughters are 19 and 16.

What is your favourite book you’ve ever written?

That’s a hard question. I guess I’d say THE PUPPET WRANGLER is. It was my first book so I have a soft spot for it but I also think it’s my funniest book. It’s based – a little tiny bit – on something that happened to me when I was 12 and that endears it to me too. I didn’t realize it at the time but I think I was coming to terms with a sort of sad period in my life. That’s one of the great things about writing. You get to take things you’ve actually experienced and change the ending.

Do you like writing books?

Usually, yes. Not many grown-ups get to sit around in their pajamas all day making up stories. Every so often, though, I can’t think of anything to say. I’m not so crazy about writing then. I’ve learned that I just have to keep at it. Sooner or later, the writer’s block breaks and the words start flowing.

Why did you start writing books?

I was a television scriptwriter for a long time. It was fun but I got tired of it. There were too many deadlines, too many bosses to answer to. I decided I’d take a break and try writing a book, just for fun. That book became THE PUPPET WRANGLER It’s not a mystery like most of my other books. It’s a comic adventure story set in the children’s television industry.

Why did you decide to write murder mysteries?

Well, not all my books are murder mysteries and I don’t really decide what type of book I’m going to write either. I just play around with ideas in my head. When I find one that really interests me – an adventure, a comedy, a mystery, whatever – I try to turn it into a book. (I wrote a fantasy once but it wasn’t very good. I think I’ll stick to the other type of books…)

Who is your favourite author?

I don’t really have a favourite author. It changes depending on what the last book I liked was. When I was a kid though, I loved Lucy Maude Montgomery who wrote the ANNE OF GREEN GABLES series.

What is my favourite colour?

Blue-green. (That was easy!)

Are any of your stories based on real life?

Yes. When I was 12, I got sent away for the summer to stay with a relative who didn’t want me. The story in THE PUPPET WRANGLER isn’t at all the same as what happened to me but I think the emotions that Telly and I felt are similar.

DEAD-END JOB is also based on something that happened to me – but I’m not going to tell you what that was because I’d ruin the story. (Needless to say, my experience was much less dramatic than what happened in the book.)