Andrea Wilder

I live in Upstate New York with my husband and two children and a cat named Ducky who likes to sleep on top of the refrigerator. Our house isn't far from where I grew up, in the middle of the Finger Lakes Region, one of the most beautiful places I can imagine. We're surrounded by rolling fields, ponds and lakes, and at night we have a fabulous view of the stars. It doesn't get much better than that.

When I'm not working or writing, I enjoy gardening, which basically means I plant flowers and throw down a lot of mulch to avoid weeding. We all enjoy playing tennis and golf, and yes, I'm the ever-present soccer/baseball/football mom. With such a busy life, writing time is hard to come by, but I always find it somehow. I simply can't imagine not doing it.

Every once in awhile, people ask me for advice. The best I have comes from the poster that hangs in my study: