A Woman Should Never, Never,

You Write One Book And You're Ready For Fame And Fortune. I Don't Know That People Are Spending The Time And Attention On Learning How To Write-which Takes Years. Everybody Sees The Success Stories.

My Father Taught Me To Love Detective Fiction Writers Such As Raymond Chandler. When I Decided To Have A Hard-boiled Detective Series I Did A Lot Of Studying Before I Wrote The First Book. I Learned Police Procedure, The California Criminal Law, And Many Areas Outside My Expertise.

The Struggle Is What Teaches You.

That's The Way The System Works. Sometimes You Get The Bear, Sometimes The Bear Gets You.

The Character Of Rosie Is Based On A Woman Who Used To Live In The Same Apartment Building I Lived In Many Years Ago. She's Taken On A Life Of Her Own, Of Course.