Where do you get your ideas?

From everywhere. Some story ideas begin with a real life experience, others start from inspirational dreams I have then write down when I wake up. I draw from many of my past adventures. Scenery descriptions come from describing places I have seen in my travels around the globe. I love to weave romantic personal experiences I have had that are still etched so clearly in my memory into my storylines. Occasionally I also get new ideas while watching old movies and imagining how I might have told the story differently. Although story ideas often come to me fully formed, many of the details evolve as the work progresses. I spend a long time turning an initial story idea into something that I believe makes an interesting, well thought out story. The process is a lot like sculpting with clay - it takes some time and work with my hands for the story to get to its final form.

How do you find the time to travel?

I always try to recognize trade and business opportunities everywhere I travel, so that I find sound business reasons (or excuses) to travel. That way I can catch up on my writing while flying across the country. I usually get up very early each day - between 3am and 5 am, and work well into the late evening after dinner. It's not unusual for me to work 20-30 hours nonstop, taking brief breaks for meals and exercise, including yoga. I sometimes squeeze in an hour or so of writing during the day, but the majority of my writing work gets done at night and on weekends after my phones are turned off.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Always longer than I expect, since my various business pursuits keep me quite busy, and I never seem to have as much time as I would like to spend on writing. Clark and Sacajawea, the Untold Love Story, my first full-length novel, was a labor of love begun in November of 2002, which took Melissa Dawn and I nearly two years to complete. Other stories, magazine articles, and movie scripts I've written have taken shape in much less time.

How long did it take for you to sell your first book?

I had been writing for fun for nearly forty years before I sold my first novel. Although I loved writing since I was a teenager, and often wrote articles and marketing materials for my businesses throughout the years, I preferred to keep my poems and other musings private. However, I've wanted to write a romance novel for about ten years, so when Melissa and I discovered we shared this common dream, I suggested that we write one together. Fortunately for us both, she enthusiastically embraced the idea, and threw herself into the project with me.

The important lesson here is that if you make up your mind to pursue a goal, pursue it with passion and single-minded determination - or fall in love with someone who wholeheartedly and passionately believes in you and supports your dreams. Over the past two years I’ve become a regular contributor to poetry.com. If you would like to read some of my poetry, simply do an author search at www.poetry.com for Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent.

Do you think a critique partner or editor-partner is a good idea?

For me it wasn't essential. I'm a prolific writer, and thanks to the invention of computers and spellcheck, writing has become much easier for us all. Some people, including me, find that being critiqued completely shuts down the creative process. Letting my thoughts and feelings flow as I write either solo, or with Melissa, works best. Once the thoughts are on paper, I then proof-read and edit for spelling, punctuation, and syntax. This seems to result in the best finished product. I have the best writing partner a romance writer could have, since she is also the most romantic and affectionate woman a man could wish for.

Who are your favorite authors?

Other authors I enjoy reading are Keats, Chaucer, Gates, Hemingway, Mark Twain, Melissa Dawn, and Clark Kent, of course. Top