Her son would sit on her lap as she wrote, and Richards titled her first completed work, Brendan's Song, after him.
[2] As a result of years working as a family counselor, her novels "feature complex characterizations and in-depth explorations of social issues.
"[6] Her characters often sport unusual quirks, such as a penchant for strange sandwich ingredients, which gives the story an added charm.
While she was an undergraduate, Richards spent a summer living in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains, helping the residents and learning to quilt.
[8] They have lived throughout the United States, including in Florida, Louisiana, California, Arkansas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.