About Me

The Pacific Northwest has been my home for all my adult life and all but five years of my childhood, and that’s where all my stories take place.  I love so much about the Pacific Northwest—the smells, outdoor life, the rain, the green, the beauty in every corner, and mainly that there are no poisonous snakes in the westerly areas, where I’m from. Snakes terrify me. I’m getting scared just thinking about them. As a side note, none of my characters have pet snakes. My kids adore snakes and have tried exposure therapy on me . . . it didn’t work.  

Writing has been my passion and dream since I was young. My first writing attempt was a will. Don’t ask me why. Maybe my six-year-old self didn’t want any of my toys to go to the wrong person. I really don’t know. Not long after, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I spent much of my childhood dreaming of being in a different life—wondering what everyone else did all day and how they did it. Those questions lead to people watching and investigating even the slightest smile, grimace, or influx. Even though I didn’t know it then, it was valuable research for the books I would eventually write.

I’ve had my share of struggles to overcome, and you’ll notice in my books my characters do as well. My childhood was full of poverty, no coat, no new school clothes, a hungry belly, a time of homelessness, and my single mom working two jobs with four kids to feed. I was also teased and bullied as a child. The damage was hard to repair, but I wouldn’t change it. Because of what I suffered, I’ve been able to empathize and stand alongside many who have had the same obstacles to maneuver.  

Anxiety has plagued me since I was four years old and possibly before that as I don’t have full memories from before I was four. It has made my dream of being published a difficult hill to climb. Like many who suffer from anxiety know, it’s hard to put yourself out there. Writing my books has been like taking pieces of myself and putting it on paper and then sharing it with the world . . .. Scary!  

Another colossal struggle reared its head in 2014. I was a passenger in a car that was run off the road by a drunk driver who then left the scene. I have no memory of the accident or the days surrounding it, but my lasting pain and injuries testify to the tragic event. My doctors tell me I'm fortunate to be alive and very lucky to be able to walk.  

During my recovery, and after my second surgery, I expected to get “all better”— my spine to heal and my pain to be gone. I never considered any other possibility, but seven months after my accident, my surgeon told me the devastating news–I needed to find a “new normal,” which meant living with many physical limitations, a permanently broken back, and chronic pain. My journey has been tough. I went from being a super active mother of ten to being physically limited and in pain, but it has also been a blessing. I am now an advocate for others in similar situations, and along with my colleague, we’ve made progress in securing some protections in our state.

As a common theme in my life and my characters’ lives, trials build endurance, perseverance, empathy, and sometimes a deeper understanding of sacrificial love.