Writing has been a life long passion. It began many years back at the age of eight with a love story about Spock. My brother found it under my bed and read it to a couple of boys that were spending the night. They laughed till they cried.

I burned the book in Dad's burn barrel. It was only a few short pages, so it went up in smoke rather quickly. Next time, I vowed I would hide it better.

In seventh grade, I wrote a poem that a teacher found so disturbing she thought I was suicidal. I considered myself a happy, well adjusted teen. Eventually, the teacher calmed down. But she always watched me carefully when I was in her classroom.

In high school, it was an erotic story about a rock band and in college it was pirates. My boyfriend was shocked. Deeply shocked!

Shortly after finishing my medical residency, I completed a novel that I thought was good but it even scared me!

These days it's vampires and aliens that make up my characters of choice.

The first time I got a bad review, a friend said I should quit. That it wasn't worth the pain and rejection.

But it's obscession. I can't stop because I love to write.

I can't keep track of the number of books I've started or the number I've discarded as trash.

But one thing I have learned from writing is that thick skin is a requirement!