“Tracker” takes place in an amazingly rich world, with so much interesting stuff going on. Do you have any more stories in this setting, or would you consider writing some?

I do love this far future world, but I haven’t written any other stories in it. It’s really an extension of my exploration of where we go, once we can manipulate our genes and achieve immortality. Is death the dividing line between Human and Non-human? I wonder about that.

I really enjoyed Jesse the dog’s reactions. Was she inspired by any particular dog?

Ah, Jesse is a compilation of many dogs I’ve owned and worked with, more an Australian Shepherd than a Rottweiler. Dogs have always been part of my life.

What is your usual process for writing a story? Was “Tracker” any different?

My stories start in different ways, most often with a character who has an issue, sometimes with an idea first. This story started with my thoughts about what immortality would do to our compassion, about our ability to care. Yolanda herself came from an image of a horned woman that I bought years ago, while I was attending Clarion West, actually.

What are you working on lately?

Actually, I’ve been working with authors rather than writing my own stories, doing content editing and educating new authors on the intricacies of today’s new publishing world—how to actually reach readers with your books and succeed on your own. It’s really exciting, as the publishing world changes almost daily. And I love helping authors make their stories as strong and compelling as they can be.