Wow, Cathryn! Very interesting bio! It presents a somewhat different picture than I had formed. I checked out several reviews of your book, on links other than those provided on your webpage, and they were all quite positive. And I like the cover art! Quite geological! Good luck getting back in the writing groove.

BTW, when I lived in Santa Cruz, I was an avid reader of the San Francisco Chronicle - daily from my early teens on.

IIRC, you live in Santa Cruz now, and it was the Loma Prieta quake that piqued your interest. My mother's home was up Graham Hill Road, across the San Lorenzo River from the University. It was built high on the river bank there, where the slope first breaks downhill. Due to the series of moderate shocks preceding the Loma Prieta quake, she purchased quake insurance just two months prior to Loma Prieta. Five days before the quake she left for a trip to Africa. Due to particular site conditions there, and perhaps factors such as the configuration of the house, and local focusing, the house was very extensively damaged. She eventually received payouts of about $110K for structural damage, and another $50K for contents. Also, my sister was housesitting at the time, and it was a very harrowing experience for her. I've never felt severe shaking such as you have, and can only imagine what it must have been like.

Michael Williams
Arroyo Grande, CA USA