Why I Started Writing:

Though I enjoyed reading and creative writing as a teenager, I decided on a mechanical engineering career. It wasn’t until I had been a full-time homeschool mom for years that the writing bug struck again. While helping my middle school children with creative writing, I realized I had a lot of story ideas. I also desired to share the Gospel with people who wouldn’t generally be exposed to it, and writing exciting stories seemed like a good way to do that. Ideas, however, are only the beginning of good writing.

I am fortunate to live in an age in which so many great educational resources are available over the internet. Online webinars and presentations, zoom critique groups, and contest feedback helped me hone my writing skills at my own pace. My journey took me through the Institute for Writers, the Jerry Jenkins Writer’s Guild, the Serious Writer’s Club, Word Weavers, and Realm Makers. I remain a member of most of these groups, as there’s always more to learn about the craft. Seeing my writing improve has increased my desire to create wonderful stories.

Authors Who Have Influenced Me:

Charles Dickens has always been one of my favorite authors. From him I learned that humor and great misfortune can be effectively juxtaposed. I also came to appreciate a well-written villain.

In the Science Fiction realm, my favorite author is C. J. Cherryh. In her “The Chanur Saga” series, she writes from the perspective of an alien race of lion-like beings. The lone human being, accidentally trapped in their universe, is the oddity. Not only did she create a fabulous world and culture, but she flawlessly stayed in Pyanfar Chanur’s point of view throughout the series. Trying to achieve deep point of view has intrigued me ever since.

Books I Have Written:

My debut novel, Fields of Prosperis, will be published by Elk Lake Publishing in 2024. I have a few short stories available on my website.

What I'm Working On Now:

I am currently writing a sequel to Fields of Prosperis.