Inspiration for writing strikes me at odd times and comes in many forms. However, for Against Their Will, it came from personal experience and some headlines.

While the news seems to be all about government spying and citizens’ lack of privacy, the characters in Against Their Will are the ultimate victims of lost privacy; they lost their identity, all because of a plane crash.

After a very rough flight from Houston to Kansas City –  our plane was struck by lightning and it was by far the worst roller coaster ride I’ve ever had – I started writing about it. Although I made it safely to Kansas City, I wondered what my characters would do if they crashed but survived and it was due to unknown forces; a conspiracy at work.

To flesh out my characters’ lives, I used what I learned about the often mysterious world of the film industry. I am a movie buff, and while living in Los Angeles, I visited a number of sets and took studio tours. I soaked up all types of movie trivia and enjoyed learning about the inner workings of the industry. It was only natural these things should be used to further define the characters.

I am a sucker for real locations in stories. The locations in this book were real for the most part, only a few places were slightly modified to fit in with the story. One of the most memorable locations was Topanga Canyon Road, a long, steeply winding road that traverses the Topanga Canyon. The views as one wound around the steep curves were stunning, as were some of the secluded but luxurious estates tucked in between the rolling slopes.

The ultimate inspiration, however, was to write a book full of the unexpected twists and turns that thrill me so much when reading. Suspenseful, page-turning books are my favorites, and that was the ultimate inspiration; to write something I would like to read. If readers can sit on the beach or curl up in a favorite chair and be drawn into another world that helps them forget the stresses and demands of their lives, then I have succeeded. In the end, I hope it is all a fun escape and a roller coaster ride that ends with the exclamation, “Let’s do it again!”