Why I Started Writing:

When I was in second grade I was gifted with the books that would begin an ever-growing library. (I still have those books.) As a child, books were my constant companions. I spent hours reading in my room, on the bus, in the backseat of the car—much to the chagrin of my father who insisted there were much more interesting things to see out the window. He was wrong. Nothing could beat what was happening on those pages. Well-written characters lived on after I closed each book, and I imagined other stories for them. It wasn’t long before I began writing poetry and my own stories, as gifts for my friends.

As an adult, the more I grew to know and love the Greatest Hero of All, the more I dreamed of writing stories glorifying the Lord and grounded in the truth that Love never fails. My desire to encourage women with that hope, along with themes of forgiveness and redemption, form the core of my writing.

Authors Who Have Influenced Me:

Like many writers, my first literary influence was Carolyn Keene (the collective pseudonym of several authors) and the Nancy Drew mysteries. As a teenager, I was enthralled by Jane Austen, Victoria Holt (Mistress of Mellyn and The Shivering Sands), and Mary Stewart (Nine Coaches Waiting). As an adult, reading Judith McNaught and Lavyrle Spencer motivated me to work on my own writing again. I eagerly awaited the release of every book, and I own every novel they’ve written. My list of influences must include Francine Rivers. Redeeming Love was the first novel to give me hope for Christian romances. I can only aspire to be compared favorably to her someday.

Books I Have Written:

My chapbook, The Kulwicki Chronicles, is a combination of poetry and vignettes based on my friendship with the 1992 Winston Cup champion, Alan Kulwicki. Originally published by his estate following his sudden death in 1993, I revised and re-released The Kulwicki Chronicles in 2014. It is currently available through Amazon. I was touched to learn it had been displayed in the Alan Kulwicki collection at the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC.

My first novel, The Canary Cage, is a historical romance and is currently under contract with Elk Lake Publishing.

What I'm Working On Now:

In addition to revising my contemporary romance novel, Racing Hearts, I’m working on another historical romance, A Woman of Means, set in the 1950s.