I was raised in New York, Paris, Geneva, and Rome. Before I began writing fiction, I was a clinical and forensic psychologist, often testifying in court. After swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, I decided it was time to just tell a great story.
It was a long journey. Although writing came naturally, I had to learn everything about story from the ground up. But there was one thing from my prior field that helped me once I tapped into it. Psychologists know how to empathize with all their patients, no matter how different they are. Empathy helped me put myself in the shoes of every single major and minor character, and think like them and speak like them.