Anything you would like to share with our readers about the inspiration for this story?

A few years ago, I had a writing professor who passed around an envelope of pictures she had cut out of magazines. The idea was to randomly pull out one picture, focus on it for a couple of minutes and then develop a character or scene from what you perceived to be going on. The photo that I pulled was a black and white shot of an old man in a wool peacoat. At first glance, it looked like he was standing in a snowstorm. Upon closer inspection, I realized that ashes were falling all around him. I began to develop him in my mind and nearly two years later, Sticks and Stones came to me. Emmett also has, as most of my male characters do. He has very specific traits that I have gleaned from my memories of my grandfather.

Do you have a specific writing schedule that you adhere to and/or any tricks that help you, that might useful to our readers?

Most days, I write in my head when I should be sleeping. I toss and turn, wanting silence. These things come out, to some degree, like a burden. Characters build in the shadows, and emerge at the most inconvenient times. There is no schedule. There is no way to anticipate. I write it down when I can no longer contain it.

What are you reading at this time?

To be honest, I am currently reading an atlas of the United States. 4000 miles lay ahead of me. Intention hell-bent, and away we go.

Name the top two or three most influential writers of your writing career and maybe a line or two telling us why.

There are several writers who have inspired me over the years. However, the guy who really gets me going is Raymond Carver. He writes with such precision, never wasting a single word. He sets a scene and conveys emotion like no other.