Gretchen Berg

Although my books fall into three very different genres, there's dry humor to be found in all three. I love laughing, and love reading anything that makes me laugh. I think any genre can incorporate humor, and I try to bring that to whatever I'm working on.

I grew up in a small suburb of Chicago (around 24,000 people). For "The Operator," this was useful, as that story takes place in the similar small-ish Midwestern town of Wooster, Ohio.

Voracious. I was constantly reading. The summer library reading programs were my favorite thing, where you kept track of how many books you read. I was always trying to read the most.

It totally depends on what you're in the mood for. My most recent title ("Antigua") is a suspense/thriller, set in Central America, and since it's the most recent, it's my current favorite. I love it. It's a pretty quick, easy, fun read (in my subjective opinion). I think "The Operator" is a great book to read in early winter (or if you're missing winter and just have the A/C on High). It's a good curl-up with a hot mug of something read. "I Have Iraq in My Shoe" is non-fiction, and has been described as "Hilarious," and "a fun book." The main aim is to entertain, and I think all three of these can do that.

This tends to fluctuate a little, but right now: Patricia Highsmith, Daphne du Maurier, Shalom Auslander, Percival Everett, and David Sedaris.

The Power of Now (Eckhart Tolle)

Kira McKnight (the protagonist of "Antigua"). I used a number of my actual travel experiences in that story.

The Book Bin in Northbrook, IL.

Couch with laptop. It is neither spacious nor glamorous and I'm ready for an upgrade.

One of those cozy oversized chaises right next to a wood-burning fireplace.