Growing up as a sheltered Midwesterner within a large and boisterously talented household, I developed a strong sense of family and roots and self. This base has helped me thrive in my somewhat nomadic adulthood.

Despite living in many states—from Florida to Washington—one constant has remained: learning. I love to learn! Whether it’s a seminar, a degree, a conference, a certificate, it doesn’t matter; I just want to grow.  As a life-long learner, I am now able to bring the values and lessons from my own experiences to my writing. The value of education, overcoming obstacles, surviving—thriving—as an underdog, and interracial and intercultural relationships are recurring themes in my writing. Through my stories and characters, I hope to raise awareness of these issues with my readers.

When I was young, I read the book Christy, and felt connected to the setting. It took decades before I was able to visit the Appalachian south; and a part of me remained.  Now I am officially a lil’ bit Southern and spend part of each year in the area. It is my love of the Smoky Mountains and Appalachian culture that stands as backdrop for my first novel, Melody to the Night. Matter of fact, much of Melody was written while in the area. I’ve claimed my creative soul lives in the South. My muse definitely does.

But learning isn’t my only life-long passion. Writing is, too. I began writing in elementary school when my dad, a former newspaper editor and closet poet, used writing as a way for me to handle my emotions. I was only ten when I was first recognized for my creative talent (it was a short story in third grade). Since then, my short stories and poetry have won awards and been published in various magazines and newspapers. A professional freelancer and instructor for more than 20-years, I currently teach creative writing at the community college level. I am also enrolled in the MFA program at Whidbey Writers’ Workshop (division of Northwest Institute of Literary Arts), and am hard at work on my next book.

My personal life includes so much to be joyous about—my loves include family, dogs, music, traveling, white-water rafting, and cooking. I am also an active volunteer. My two grown sons are the coolest ever, surpassed only by my own real-life hero, my husband. When not in the Smokies, we live in the Pacific Northwest with Oliver, our mini-Aussie. Melody to the Night is my first full-length novel.