About Andrea

I started writing in early 2008. I had left my job and had applied to start full-time studies in a Master of Business Administration program in Toronto. Having received word in March that I was accepted to the program starting in September, I had six months to fill.

I decided to write a 60,000-word book and was finished within six weeks. Writing was a daily, 9-to-5 endeavor. Each day I noted how many words I had written. Some days I wrote 200 words. On my best day I wrote 5,000. The next day I deleted most of them.

Then the hard part began! How does one publish a book? I had read a lot about agents and publishers, and people were beginning to self-publish. Not one to wait for someone to bless my work, I decided I would publish it myself and let the readership decide. Click for more ....

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5 things you may not know about Andrea

1. I'm a big lover of perennials. I find them more challenging than annuals. My favorite perennials include hosta (of all types), tiarella, coral bells and balloon flowers.

2. I love to read! (That's probably no surprise.) My early favorite authors were Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Now I enjoy reading John Grisham and Dan Brown.

3. I have four cats! Tabitha, the marmalade cat in Death in the Forsythia, is based on my oldest cat, Montana. He can be quite demanding when he sets his mind on something.

4. I find weeding a relaxing pastime. It is a great opportunity to let your mind wander. Sometimes, it is the best way to work through plot problems so you can write the next scene.

5. I was inspired to start writing by Laura Childs's Tea Shop Mysteries.