Nielsen Bestseller Award winner: Jackie Kabler, author of The Perfect Couple (One More Chapter)

"I'm a big planner, and before I start writing a novel I like to know how it's going to start and end, and the main twists and turns of the story. Then I plan the first three or four chapters in more detail, write those, plan the next few and carry on like that. Having said all that, things do sometimes change as I go along. The plot and characters tend to take on a life of their own and lead me off in slightly different directions. There's always one point where I think the book isn't working at all, and panic, but then a few weeks later it all seems to come together again. The last few weeks before my deadline are always horrible, but I haven't missed one yet...fingers crossed!"