Let's get acquainted...

In order for us to be friends, there is something I need to confess and get off my chest. As a child, I never read much for pleasure because I read so painfully slow. I went faithfully to the bookmobile in the summer and to the public library in the winter and checked out books, but I rarely finished one. Then, when I married, my husband read The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Reader’s Digest condensed version) to me and from then on, I took off as a reader, devouring books non-stop when I wasn’t doing my college homework. I learned to love reading and was amazed at the ability of a good story to transport me to other worlds.

Other things I love—

I love to watch the leaves in fall change from green to shades of yellow, orange, and red as the days shorten and the wind nips at my cheeks. When a gust of wind sends them whirling through the air, raining down, or surfing the breeze—well, that’s awesome, too.

I love traveling and sightseeing with my husband, who provides the history behind the sights. I love places with mountains, seashores (the sound of the waves is mesmerizing), rolling hills, manicured gardens, desert sunsets, slot canyons, ruins, architecture—you name it.

I love spending time outdoors—even if it’s just mowing the lawn or shoveling snow. But my favorite things to do are hiking, archery (the smack of an arrow slamming into a rotten tree stump from 30 yards away is so satisfying), gardening, rock climbing, canoeing, drawing, and just gabbing with my husband, kids, and grandkids.

I love researching for my stories and concocting a blend of history and fiction to produce the finished novel. My favorite part of the research process is spending hours rummaging through nineteenth-century newspapers in the special collections room in the local library and finding some hidden gems to make my characters come alive.

I love being the mother of four wonderful kids and the grandmother of four amazing grandkids. My hope is that they will grow to love reading and writing as much as I do. My recent reads have been by Sarah M. Eden, Julie Klassen, and Josi Kilpack. Nancy Springer has some fun reads, too. I also love the works of Jane Austen and Lucy Maud Montgomery—two truly brilliant trailblazers. I feel grateful for their friendship—shared with me through their literature.

I hope you enjoy my books and come to love my characters as much as I have. Read on!