I’ve always had a passion for writing. Early on, I polished my writing skills by passing notes to my friends instead of paying attention in math class. The resulting time in detention gave me lots of time to write more notes. As a young child, I wouldn’t leave home without a pad and pencil just in case my novel hit me, and I had to scribble it down quickly. Sadly, I eventually lost this naiveté. However, as a result of my love of writing, I have an unusual variety of books published. The list includes books for the construction industry and grammar textbooks. (If writing about drywall or gerunds is better than not writing at all, it says something about what drives me.) Fortunately, I also write novels for adults, as well as early and middle readers. This is the writing that feeds my soul.
These days, in addition to writing adult fiction, I’m having a ball creating the Austria and Mexico books for Pack-n-Go Girls® travel and adventure series. The award winning early chapter books are targeted for early readers, ages six to nine.
In my earlier professional life, I worked as a communication consultant for a high tech company. This role gave me ample opportunity to find interesting ways to say boring things. Having survived the chaos of the high-tech world for nearly a decade without getting laid off once, I know firsthand the grinding exhaustion of the road-warrior’s life. Eventually, I was able to liberate myself. Technology implementations went on without me.
My professional world morphed into teaching leadership programs and doing professional coaching. This part of my life takes me to fun places around the globe, which is fortunate because I love to travel. My husband and I divide our time between living on a sailboat in Mexico and on land (in a house) in Colorado. My grown children pay their own bills and are terrific to be around. It doesn’t get any better than this.
In whatever spare time I have, one of my favorite things to do is to connect with my readers. Whether you’re in a classroom, book club, or other group, I’d love to visit in person—time and geography permitting—or on Skype. Contact me and let me know what works for you.