Frequently Asked Questions
Q: With your medical background was it easy to create the four different women characters in LIFELINES?
CJ: Yes, because they're all reflections of myself. Like Amanda, I was the outsider in med school, only a Yankee down South. Like Gina, I was seen as a rebel during residency and my fellowship. I once thought following the rules was the best way to save lives, like Nora, and I now, like Lydia, have learned to live by a different set of my own "rules."
Q: How much of this story did you draw from your experience as a pediatric ER doctor?
CJ: Most of LIFELINES comes from experiences that occurred in medical school, before I was a full-fledged physician. Although I did draw on a lot of the Pittsburgh atmosphere since I lived there as an intern and resident.
Q: The book moves along at a fast pace and still covers medical procedure only a person of your background could offer. Was it a challenge to write with authenticity yet not get too bogged down and too technical?
CJ: No. As soon as I began to get bored with the technical details, I'd simply go back and cut them by half. Sometimes this meant condensing a few things, but I figured, this isn't a textbook, it's supposed to be entertainment!
Q: How long did it take to write the manuscript?
CJ: With revisions, from first draft to completed, polished manuscript, it was five months.
Q: Who are the audiences for LIFELINES?
CJ: Anyone who enjoys ER, Grey's Anatomy, or Sex in the City; people who love a thriller pace but enjoy a story told from a woman's point of view; readers who like seeing realistic romances and relationships unfold over time; anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes life of a medical center.
Q: What made you take the leap from pediatric ER doctor to the uncertainty of becoming a writer?
CJ: Writing has been my secret addiction all my life. Becoming a doctor was a dream come true--until finally I came to a point where I realized that I was in danger of burn-out. So I decided to take a leap of faith and try to make my second dream, writing, come true. And it worked. I always say, if you're going to dream, dream Big!
Q: Do you have a writing schedule?
CJ: No. I'm totally undisciplined, seats of the pants type of writer.
