You also share with readers the fact that you received over two hundred rejections before receiving "the call" from your publisher, Five Star/Gale.  Many published authors have a similar tale to tell. Having been through this experience, what advice would you give aspiring writers?

Don't ever think anything is too mundane or unimportant to write about. Whether it be your workplace or the habits and personalities of people you know, if you begin to have that gnawing inner desire to capture it all in words, do it. Don't ignore it.

Writing is, first of all, something you do for yourself. It's important not to get caught up in what everyone else is writing or what genre you're told you "should" or "shouldn't" be focusing on. Listen to the whispers from your soul and write about what you hear.

You don't hide the fact that JoMarie Grinkiewicz is your real name. Why did you decide to publish under the pen name of April Star? What have been the advantages and disadvantages of using a pen name?

My real name is pretty long and many people have a difficult time pronouncing and writing it. I took the suggestion from several author friends, and decided to use a pen name. I took "April" from the month my husband and I married (38 years ago) and "Star" from the little three-legged Maltese we rescued and adopted. There have been more advantages than disadvantages. At first, I was told to chose one name and brand myself with that without any confusion with my real name. I didn't like that. More and more I discovered how other well-named authors like Nora Roberts use a pen name (J.D. Robb) along with their real name, so I followed suit.

I would have to say the only disadvantage would be when I did begin to mention my real name. But it all flowed quickly together and readers now know who I am regardless of what name I write under.

What authors do you like to read when you're not writing, and who has influenced your writing the most?

I love the works of Carolyn Hart, Sue Grafton, and Barbara Parker. I was most influenced by Barbara Parker, who really personally inspired me through the time she took with me at a SleuthFest conference over a decade ago. I stood in line to have her sign a copy of her book Blood Relations. She told me to sit down and tell her about my aspirations and what I was working on. We talked for over thirty minutes and her last words to me were, "Never give up." I didn't. I, like many, was devastated over her untimely death but very much inspired by her strength, courage, and creative genius.

What's next for April Star? Will there be a third novel in the Wanderlust series?

I have almost completed the third and final Wanderlust Mystery, It's Checkout Time. This time, Laura and David stumble upon the body of a murdered driver while camping at the NASCAR races in Talladega, Alabama. I'm also excited about beginning a new series, but reluctant to say goodbye to Laura and David Jennings. I miss them already, but I left the door open for another book. In my new Paradise by the Sea series, I will leave the road behind, focusing instead on the happenings in a 55+ residential retirement community.

Contributing editor, Julie Compton, is the author of TELL NO LIES, a legal thriller set in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Her next novel, RESCUING OLIVIA, will be released in February, 2010. An attorney by profession, she lives and writes near Orlando, Florida.