Why I Started Writing:

I have enjoyed expressing myself in writing since I was a kid, so from a young age, I wrote. I kept a prayer journal, crafted stories, and was even enthusiastic about writing reports and answering essay questions on tests. As I got older and became a mom, I started writing stories and articles and submitting them for publication. When some were published, my passion for further developing my writing skills was fueled. As a result, the time I spent writing grew to where it is now—it’s my job! I write freelance (mostly ghostwriting) for a variety of clients in addition to creating my own works of fiction. 

Authors Who Have Influenced Me:

I’m influenced on some level every time I read a good book, but the few authors that come to mind right away for fiction are Wendell Berry, Jan Karon, Patti Callahan Henry, and Sean Dietrich. As for nonfiction books on writing, William Zinsser’s On Writing Well is a favorite and has been a helpful resource to me for years. 

Books I Have Written:

LaDelle & Jubilant is my historical fiction debut novel. The story, set in Tuskegee, Alabama, in the 1930s, features LaDelle Harris, a fiery, no-nonsense widow and the head librarian at the Tuskegee Institute who likes things her way--orderly and trouble-free. So, the last thing LaDelle wants is to take care of her twelve-year-old nephew for the summer--or maybe forever. Thankfully, Professor George Washington Carver and a quirky cast of characters come alongside aunt and nephew as the pair learn to make peace with God and each other.

What I'm Working On Now:

My next novel is another historical fiction based on a true story about my grandfather’s birth mother. After an unplanned pregnancy and early labor resulting in giving birth on the ship, Etta Hamel emmigrates to America from Germany in the late 1800s to start a new life in New York. Many years later, when she is old, her past unexpectedly collides with her great-niece in the 1950s.