Surely you’ve been sent from the heavens to teach us mortals what beauty is.

What I do is put my characters into situations that are so precarious there is no way to get out. And then I figure how to get them out.

In a novel, on the other hand, you not only have to describe the rooms, but the clothes, the characters and what they are thinking. It's a much more in-depth process

She undressed slowly, dreamily, and when she was naked, she selected a bright red negligee to wear so that the blood would not show.

Being poor is only romantic in books.

I’m tired of the lies and the cheating, and the broken promises that were never meant to be kept.

I think that's because believable action is based on authenticity, and accuracy is very important to me. I always spend time researching my novels, exploring the customs and attitudes of the county I'm using for their setting.