The One-Link Lowdown on...Starla Kaye.

My guest today is writer Starla Kaye. A woman who has travelled the world, she says that 'all of my many adventures and observations of people and places help my writer’s imagination. I’m filled with ‘what ifs’ and ideas for yet more characters.' Read on to find out more about this writer with 19 novels, 22 novellas and 5 anthologies to her name. Welcome, Starla!

If you could retrieve one thing from your childhood, what would it be?

I want the small Coke bottle back that came with the Coca Cola Santa I got when they first came out a gazillion years ago. I know it is a stupid thing, but I still would like to have it. My sister and I go antiquing a lot and I’m always looking for one. I’ve seen Santas like mine, in near perfect condition and with their attached Coke bottle. But I don’t want a new one…just the bottle. MY Santa is well-worn and had been well loved during his early years.

What would be your perfect day?

My perfect day would be 48 hours long so I could manage to accomplish everything on my TO DO list. I would have time to sit outside in the early morning and watch the sunrise while eating a blueberry muffin and drinking coffee. After that I would whip through answering emails, checking Facebook, and Tweeting…instead of spending half a morning like I normally do on those things. Then I could actually spend several focused hours writing on whatever current project, followed by meeting my sister for lunch and catching up on our lives. Or I could blink myself to California and have lunch with my daughter (my best buddy). Refreshed now, I would return to my writing until my husband came home. Then we’d take a walk around our housing area or go to the Botanical Gardens and walk and talk. Okay, now I’m getting tired. Guess 48 hours would be too much to handle. I’ll just stick with 24 and not getting everything done, continue shoving some of those To Dos on to the next day.

What’s on your bedside table/nightstand?

My nightstand is in a constant state of chaos with a stack of paperbacks, my Nook, my Kindle (yes, I have both and I know that’s crazy), my iPad, a small notepad (that I never can seem to locate when I want to write something down), a pen (that never seems to work), a highlighter (who knows why), two pairs of glasses (neither pair really right). Need I go on….

Which household chore would you happily give up forever?

I would happily give up forever almost any kind of housecleaning chores. Except then I wouldn’t have those to fall back on when I’m stuck for the moment on some writing project…or avoiding a deadline. Those are the times when my house can get an emergency cleaning job.

What drives you seriously nuts?

People anywhere who complain that there is nothing to do drive me nuts. Really? Look around you. I’ve lived in large cities (Seattle, Denver), medium cities (Wichita, Alamagordo NM), and blink-quick-size towns (Strong City KS). There is always something to do, people to meet, things to experience. You just can’t go around wearing blinders.

If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?

I love to travel and it is so hard to pinpoint just one place that I would like to go. But my long-time favourite place is the UK, especially Scotland. I’ve been there, but didn’t get to spend nearly as much time there as I wanted to.

What's your guilty pleasure?

Just ONE guilty pleasure? How about I combine some of them into one giant guilty pleasure...I love taking my Kindle with me to a chaise lounge chair around a resort pool in Kauai, having a Funky Monkey to drink, some chocolate to nibble on, and sneaking peeks at the hunky studs deliciously on display in the area. (Can you guess that I took such a vacation in late September?)

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I wish I could stay focused better. My problem is that everything interests me and I want to try many more things than I should. Along with this I have a serious problem with saying NO. If someone needs my help, I’m there...even if I already have commitments that I should be working on. If an opportunity to travel comes up out of the blue, my bag is packed within in seconds.

What single invention would change your life for the better?

I would dearly like to have a universal charger cord to work on all of my various electronics: iPhone, iPad, Kindle, and Nook. I travel a lot and having to tote a bag of various cords is a real hassle. Why can’t these companies play well with each other and give their customers a real treat?

Aside from writing achievements, family, etc - what are you most proud of?

I’m proud that I had the determination to stick to my goal of getting my college degree. It took me 4 decades (1969-1996), of which my husband loves to tease me about. But it was HIS fault, because we moved so much for his career. I did it, though! I’m a gerontologist (I work with senior adults) by degree now…although I only volunteer in the field.

Starla's latest release is Maggie’s Secret Wish, a contemporary erotic romance. Find out more and buy it HERE from Decadent Publishing.

Thanks for being my guest, Starla. I so agree with you about people who complain 'there's nothing to do.' There's always something and somewhere to explore! Congratulations on all your achievements so far, and lots of luck with all your future projects!