Jane: Deirdre (or Dee, as her friends know her) is the absolute light of my life. She is a constant source of inspiration through her dedication to her family (including her fabulous dogs), her work, her volunteer work in the community and her friends. Dee can keep me in a constant gail of laughter and, most importantly, at the hardest times. She always listens. She always remembers things, dates, people and ideas. She even remembers my ridiculously over-the-top schedule and is respectful of all of it. I can talk to her about ANYTHING and know it will stay between us and, in discussing it, it will all make sense - or at least be mocked to the point of it not mattering. We can take on the world together if you arm us with cups of coffee. She is the only person I can sit with for an entire day and never feel I have to watch what I say, what I think or how I look. We can spend one day sitting on our butts doing nothing while we laugh and listen to music, and then another day we can talk about life, religion, and philosophy and beyond. She is a fabulous person to travel with and even someone you can comfortably sit quietly with, knowing everything is fine. Dee has a great intellect and interests that are marvelously diverse. It is an amazing gift to have her in my life. She is my guardian angel on earth. My sister in spirit and my true best friend.

Deirdre: I feel the same way about Jane. After thirty three years of friendship, we can practically read each other's minds. I can't imagine life without her.

Lina: Could you tell us a bit about your family? Have you always lived in the Empire State? (Your description of Ithaca, NY somewhat reminds me of Boulder, CO). What do you like most about where you live?

Deirdre: I hail from a family of voracious readers. My mother, Barbara, was a stay-at-home mom, and my dad, Bill, was a high school English teacher. I also have three siblings: Bill, Allison, and Beth. Bill is a teacher in Brooklyn, Allison is a stay-at-home mom on Long Island, and Beth is a tech advisor for Earthlink in Atlanta. I feel lucky to be close to all of them. We laugh together a lot and exchange books regularly.

I've spent most of my life in the Empire State, despite being born in Georgia (my dad was in the army, and I was born at Fort Benning) and spending a year living in Manchester, England when I was fourteen and again when I was twenty.

My husband, Mark, and I have been married sixteen years. He’s a writer, too, and co-author of the best sellers DIE BROKE and SECOND ACTS. We are "parents" to two Newfs named Rocky and Winston.

What I like most about Ithaca is that it's eclectic. There are academics, hippies, students, farmers, artists, business people, you name it. It's a very tolerant community. Because we have two major universities here, Cornell and Ithaca College, there's always a lot to do, culturally speaking. I also like the fact that you can drive ten minutes out of town and be out in the country. The Finger Lakes region is gorgeous. Ithaca has got the perfect blend of culture and nature, which is important to my husband and me, since we both like to hike, bike, etc. It's also close enough to Manhattan and Long Island that, if we need (or want) to go downstate for some reason, the trip is manageable.

Lina: In your biography you mentioned that you practice Tai Chi. Do you practice it as a form of exercise alone, or do you study its philosophy also? I had an opportunity to study a bit of it myself once, and do you know what I remember liking best? An old Chinese saying that "Success is accomplishing the most by doing the least." What do you like most about Tai Chi?

Deirdre: I practice Tai Chi as a form of exercise, although I like the added component that it is, in fact, moving meditation. I've tried sitting meditation on and off for years and my mind is just too squirrel-y! But Tai Chi allows me to slow down and concentrate on the present, which is important. I also love the fact that it has improved my circulation. I used to be the Queen of Heavy Sweaters and Flannel Pajamas: I was always cold. Since doing Tai Chi, I don't have that problem anymore.

Lina: Your writing career has stretched from childhood books, plays and poetry to journalism, and most recently to romance novels. In your twelve years of freelancing you were published in a great number of publications, including Seventeen, McCall's, Fitness, Woman's World, Inside Sports, Newsday and the New York Times, to name a few. What did you write about most often? Did you have a favorite topic or issue(s)?

Deirdre: I wrote mostly self help articles. You know, stuff like "Ten Ways to Get Your Husband to Lose Weight" or "What To Do When Your Best Friend and Boyfriend Don't Get Along". I especially enjoyed writing for Seventeen, since it gave the chance to let my inner fifteen year old run wild. They let me be as flip and bratty as I wanted, and that was a lot of fun.

I can't say that I had a favorite topic or issue, though I do have a favorite article I got to write on women's spiritual journeys. I profiled a number of women who had switched faiths and it was really fascinating.

Lina: If I remember correctly, you have had some nonfiction books published. Could you tell us about them? Do you plan on writing more nonfiction?

Deirdre: Actually, I've only written one non fiction book, INVESTING FOR RETIREMENT, but I contributed material and ideas to the LIFESCRIPTS series written by my husband, Mark Levine, and his partner, Stephen Pollan.

INVESTING FOR RETIREMENT is pretty self explanatory. Writing that book was torture! My husband was supposed to write it, but he had too much on his plate and when his editor asked to recommend another writer, he suggested me. We needed the money, so I took the assignment. Big mistake. I was bored out of my mind by the subject matter and sitting down at the computer every day felt like being sent to the gallows. Needless to say, I've retained virtually none of the information from the book. Ask me about trust funds and reverse mortgages and my eyes glaze over.

I would like to write some more non fiction at some point. Not necessarily a book, though. I'm always getting ideas for essays, and I've always enjoyed writing essays in the past, so that's a possibility.

Lina: Why/how did romance become the genre of your choice when writing fiction? Did you/do you read many romance novels? Would you share some of your favorite writers or books?

Deirdre: The entire time I was freelancing, and indeed from the time I was young, I was also writing fiction. Maybe it's a harbinger of my becoming a romance writer, but when I was in elementary school, I used to write G-rated adventures involving myself and George Harrison. I wish I'd saved them; I'm sure they'd be a hoot to read now.

Anyway, after freelancing for more than ten years, I was beginning to burn out. I knew I wanted a change, but I also knew I wanted to keep making my living as a writer. I'd always read romance; for me, it's like comfort food. So I decided to write one.

I read lots of kinds of books, including romance novels. Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Rachel Gibson and Alisa Kwitney are great favorites of mine. So is Nora Roberts, though that probably goes without saying. I thought her Irish trilogy was brilliant.

Lina: Is BODY CHECK the first romance novel you've written, or just the first one published?

Deirdre: It's the first I published, but not the first I wrote. There were two before it, the first a complete disaster that will never see the light of day, the second a romantic thriller involving nosy journalists and British spies that I would love to rework someday. I'd love to write a romance with a rock star hero. To me, there's nothing sexier than a handsome man with an electric guitar slung low on his hips. If he's British, all the better. (See: reference to George Harrison earlier in the interview.) I'd also love to write a historical sometime. I'm particularly fascinated by the Victorian period, as well as World War II.

Lina: One way I'd describe your storylines and characters is very believable. I enjoyed that they felt real and not too far-fetched. Do you ever lend personal characteristics to your heroines or liken your characters to people you know?

Deirdre: I think lending personal characteristics to heroines, or to characters in general, is unavoidable. They spring from YOUR psyche, so it's only natural that elements of your own personality creep in. It's not a conscious decision, at least not for me.

It's important to me that my characters are realistic; I think it adds depth. That said, I also like putting humor in my books as well.

Lina: Who is your favorite among the characters you've created in your novels? Why?

Deirdre: I'd have to say it's Michael Dante from FAIR PLAY, hands down. Funny, romantic, sensitive, masculine, has a great love for his family - he's got the whole package. I also love his brother, Anthony, but for different reasons. Anthony makes me laugh.

Lina: What is the hardest part of writing a story? Do your stories ever take unexpected twists and turns, which you find difficult to recover from?

Deirdre: I find the writing itself difficult. I have no problem coming up with characters and plot. But for me, the writing doesn't flow. It's like a faucet that goes drip, drip, drip. I often get letters from readers begging me to write faster. Believe me, I would if I could! But my Muse is a cruel mistress who makes it very hard for me.

As for unexpected twists and turns, I have to confess this rarely happens. I'm a control freak; I've pretty much got most of the story mapped out in my mind before I sit down to write. Occasionally an idea will pop up while I'm writing and I'll think, "Yeah, that could really heat things up!" But I'll only use it if it's somehow organic to the story. I don't like going off on writing tangents. It makes for twice the work when it comes time to revise.

Lina: If you ever have to take a break from the creative process, whether due to exhaustion or uncooperative characters, what's your choice of a pick-me-up? (Food? Wine? Bubble bath? Oh, I know - a long run! Right?)

Deirdre: I love to take long walks. We live out in the country, so it's wonderful. It's not uncommon for me to be walking along and hear nothing but the wind in the trees, the birds, and my own breathing. I love that! Walking helps jog ideas and relaxes me at the same time. I also love losing myself in a good book, and listening to music. I tend to fixate on one CD at a time and play it to death. Right now it's the new U2 record, "How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb". I think if my husband hears the song "Vertigo" one more time he might file for divorce.

Lina: As a diehard hockey fan, I simply have to know - how did hockey find its way into your books? I know you're a fan of the game, but not necessarily a "sports fan". Do you really know the game really well, or did you have to research the lingo, daily routines and such?

Deirdre: Hockey came into my books simply because I love hockey, and because I find hockey players to be very sexy. They're like questing warriors out there on the ice, and the Stanley Cup is like the Holy Grail of sports. That aspect appealed to me, since I'm really fascinated by Arthurian legend. Hockey players are also very down to earth, and that appealed to me, too.

I knew the game fairly well, but I did have to do research for BODY CHECK. I knew nothing about doing PR for an NHL team or what the players' routines were like. I took a tour of the New York Rangers locker room and practice facility, and picked the brains of their head of PR. I also have a friend who's a hockey beat reporter, and she was very helpful in providing me with information about what goes on inside the locker room.

Lina: Did you ever associate any of your "Blades" players with any real life athletes?

Deirdre: I think Ty Gallagher has a lot of Mark Messier in him, and there's a touch of Joey Mullen, who used to play for Pittsburgh a long time ago, in Michael Dante.

Here's Mark Messier with THE Lord Stanley’s Cup.

And this is Joey Mullen - of course he’s a bit older now ... *G*

Lina: Alright, I really have to ask - which is your favorite hockey team? (I promise to still buy your books, regardless of the answer.)

Deirdre: The 1993 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers!

Lina: While reading FAIR PLAY, often times I was laughing out loud at the Italian-American stereotypes (I live in South Jersey!). Is there any Italian in your heritage? You are said to be a "kick-ass" cook. Got any Italian favorites or specialties?

Deirdre: Believe it or not, there is no Italian in my heritage. But I grew up on Long Island where I had Italian American friends, so I knew what it was like inside those households.

As for cooking, I hate to boast, but my lasagne is pretty good. And I make really wonderful pesto from basil grown in my garden. I try to make enough so I can freeze it and my husband and I can enjoy it all year round.

Lina: Your next book, TOTAL RUSH, is to be released in March of 2005. Could you tell us a little about it?

Deirdre: Well, I don't want to give too much away, but the heroine is Michael Dante's cousin, Gemma. I knew while writing FAIR PLAY that I wanted Gemma to have her own story. She's such a loving, free-spirited character. I also knew that I wanted to take a break from writing about hockey players, though there IS some hockey in the book.

I'm ashamed to admit this, but like a lot of people, I never really thought much about firefighters and what they do until 9/11; 9/11 made me realize what heroes these guys are every day of their working lives. I knew it was a world I wanted to explore, so I decided to pair Gemma with a firefighter to see what would happen. I think readers will be pleased with the results! Like in my previous two books, there's lots of humor as well as lots of familial interaction. And it's very romantic, of course.

I loved researching TOTAL RUSH. Not only did I spend lots of time with Ithaca firefighters, but I spent time hanging out at a firehouse in Manhattan. All the firefighters I dealt with were wonderful, especially the guys here in Ithaca. They let me go out on calls with them and even took me to their training facility, where I got to put on full firefighting gear and put out a fire. It was quite an experience.

Lina: On your website you mentioned that you've signed on to write two more books after TOTAL RUSH. Have you produced any storylines for those yet? Will they too be contemporaries?

Deirdre: Both books are contemporaries. I'm working on the fourth one right now. It doesn't have a title yet (titles always come last for me, and my editor usually makes me change them anyway), but I CAN tell you that the hero is Paul van Dorn, Michael Dante's nemesis in FAIR PLAY. So we're back in the world of hockey ...

Lina: Your husband is also a writer. Does he have any opinions about women's fiction? Has he read your books? Does he ever offer you any constructive criticism?

Deirdre: My husband reads all my books. In fact, he reads them as they're being written, since I like to run things past him as I'm working to get his opinion as a writer. He's a great sounding board when it comes to the hockey action scenes. And of course, he's really helpful when it comes to writing men realistically. Many has been the time he's read a chapter or two and had come back to me saying, "Uh, honey, a guy would never talk or think this way." Then I pick his brains and revise and go on my merry way.

Lina: OK, one last question: If you weren't a writer, what would you be?

Deirdre: This is going to sound crazy, because I'm a terribly shy person, but I'd be an actress. Writing is like acting on the page. If I wasn't acting at the computer then I think I'd be doing it on a stage.