Member Q&A: Margaret Stephens
Author: Mary Varble
Original Publication Date in Love Notes: December 2007

Q. Are you a native of Nashville or somewhere else? If somewhere else, where, and how did you end up here?

A. Somewhere else. I guess I'm a mutt. I was born in Texas and grew up in Ohio and Alabama. When my husband and I decided to leave Alabama, it was a toss up between Tennessee and Florida. Tennessee won.

Hmmmm. Sounds like football. ack!
 
Q. Are you married and do you have children or pets?

A. Once upon a time I married my boyfriend and then we had two children and two cats and then two more cats. Currently, I'm still married to my boyfriend, my children are now young adults and the cats are ruling the roost. The End.

Q. Have a day job? Tell us about it?

A. I am the Receptionist/Admin Assistant at a company that owns and manages nursing homes. It's an office of about 25 people and is a very nice place to work. The phone doesn't ring much and my duties vary widely, and I have put as much as 4 miles on my pedometer in one day at work.

Q. What do you like do to when you're not working?

A. I like to party.

Q. Other than romance, what genres do you read?

A. Is there a genre called Good Books? Because if it's a Good Book, I'll read it. I don't read non-fiction, I live it.

Q. Describe your favorite vacation spot?

A. New Orleans. Went down in September for a weekend to check it out and the French Quarter is still rockin'.

Q. How long have you been writing?

A. Since 1998. Though I did do some writing in high school.

Q. What are you working on now?

A. My house. Going through 33 years of stuff kinda takes a toll on the creative functions. Once our firstborn leaves the nest (for the second time), the cleaning process should accelerate rapidly and I'll be able to regain my mental focus.

Q. How much progress have you made toward publication?

A. "About this much," she said with her hands spread about a foot apart.

Q. Who are your favorite romance writers?  

A. In no particular order except for the first two: Jane Austin, Sergeanne Golon, Amanda Quick, Linda Howard, Elizabeth Lowell, Julie Garwood, Lauren Willig, Susan Johnson, Marion Chesney, Rachel Gibson, Janet Evanovich, Diana Gabaldon, Stephanie Laurens, Sandra Hill, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Nora Roberts, Susan Andersen 

Q. What other genres do you read and who are your favorite authors in those?

A. See above. But also Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Fannie Flagg, Tom Robbins, Mark Dunn, P.G. Wodehouse, Nancy Martin, Stephen R. Donaldson, Anne Rice

Q. Describe the book of your heart.

A. ..........has a nice blend of comedy, snappy repartee, eroticism and dead bodies.  

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