Why I Started Writing:

I believe most of us start as voracious readers, and that was the case with me. I loved reading the Nancy Drew mysteries and Laura Ingalls Wilder books as a child.

When I turned eight, my parents gave me a K-Mart Snappy Blue typewriter as a birthday present. It typed in all caps. I LOVED it. I remember sitting on the multi-colored shag carpet in our living room, hunched over and typing up story after story. That was my start!

Authors Who Have Influenced Me:

Two Christian authors have changed my life – Matthew Kelly and Randy Alcorn.

I bought I Heard God Laugh by Matthew Kelly at my local Saint Vincent de Paul store years ago. The day I began to read it, the young lady that I assist at a therapeutic horseback riding center laughed in front of me for the first time. Talk about a God moment! I read Rediscover Jesus every Lenten season. Mr. Kelly makes me look deeply into my life and examine how I can get closer to Jesus Christ.

When my mother was dying of cancer three years ago, a friend recommended Heaven by Randy Alcorn. This changed my whole line of thinking on which of our lives is the real one – and now I focus on my eternal life. I read his book Money, Possessions, and Eternity two years ago while on vacation. While the trip was wonderful, this book turned me around and helped me realize what is truly important. That’s what I’ll remember the most. Life on earth is just a dot that doesn’t last long. Life in heaven is an arrow that points to forever! I carry this illustration in my purse to remind me of that fact.

Books I Have Written:

Non-Fiction: Joy to You and Me (At Work!) and Lighten Your Mental Load, Tell-Tale Publishing; Interviews by a Clueless White Woman, Warren Publishing

Fiction: Hoop Mama, self-published

 

What I'm Working On Now:

I’m finishing up a non-fiction book tentatively titled How to Thrive – Not Just Survive – Attending Church Solo. I often feel close to God when I’m out on walks in nature. While I was walking my dogs in January of 2024, I began to think about how much happier I was attending church alone. I wanted every solo person to feel the same way. I thought, “Someone should write a book about that!” Then I realized that someone should be me.

I’ve been working on it ever since and have been amazed at how much it’s helped me, the author, to grow and improve my faith life. I can’t wait to help others!