Writers are an odd sort of fellows. When we write, we write from the soul. We pull our characters out of our hearts and heads then spread them out on paper for the world to see. I tip my hat to all who have done it. It takes guts, perseverance, and a lot of inner strength to expose your internal world to the outside. For many, that alone is a long arduous journey of trial and error, failure, and success. As in any sport, victory is sweet, but around every corner, every review, lies the agony of defeat.

Yet, we keep writing. 

Whether I write or not, the ideas and the characters build their lives anyway, and take up residence in my head. I have no option but to let them out. A fellow author said when she got up in the morning, she would write out everything that was in her head, to clear it for her current work in progress. I congratulated her on being able to tame the ideas like that. I’d be there all day. She teased me as undisciplined. I’d teased her as overly disciplined.  

But that’s what the journey of writing is. We’re all in different places. We have different experiences and find different paths to our success. But to all of us, writing is a journey of the soul and the willingness to share it with the world. Again, I say congratulations to all authors who have taken that step. 

I was always a reader and have so many favorites over the years that morphed from A Wrinkle in Time to Nancy Drew to Sweet Savage Love. I’ve enjoyed authors like Rosemary Rodgers, Kathleen Woodiness, and James Patterson. But the real catalyst for trying my own hand at writing, were novels from Sue Monk Kidd, Secret life of Bees, and Sidney Sheldon’s Rage of Angels.

Ah a tidbit about me, I collect antique books. My oldest history book was published in 1842. My oldest cyclopedia set, as they were called, was published in 1863. I have fashion magazines that date back to 1854 and children’s schoolbooks that predate the Civil War. That’s what set me on the path to writing my first historical romance, Shadows of a Southern Moon, winning the 2010 EPIC Award for Best Historical Romance.

After becoming a multi-published author and winning numerous awards in Historical Romance, my journey has taken me a new direction into Historicals and Young Adult.

The greatest thrill my writing has brought into my life is horses! Writing historicals, I decided I needed to learn about horses. I arranged riding lessons. As naive as I was, I arrived for the first lesson wearing tennis shoes and carrying a notebook to jot down wise quips on how to ride a horse. That was almost fourteen years ago. I’m still learning and now own three beautiful horses.

Riding has been an amazing journey of ups and downs, of tears and smiles, yet I keep getting back in the saddle to learn more. These majestic animals have taken me on a soul-searching voyage. Someday, I’ll write about it, titled, I bought a horse. They have introduced me to animal communication and what a heart-to-heart connection truly means. I’m now studying to be an equine massage therapist for horses. I’ll post updates on that in my blog.

As far as other interests go, I have many. I collect sparkly covered notebooks and have dozens stacked up around the house. I love flowers and am an active gardener. I love my backyard birds and have created a sanctuary for them. I dabble in art and dabble is the key word. I have a gazillion books on how to draw anything from horses to fashion. I’m also learning the ancient language of stenography. A dying art of my mother’s, who could take dictation faster than you could speak and read it back with precision.

Besides horseback riding, I love boating and swimming. Lunch with friends and long chats on the phone solving all world problems with a cup of coffee. 😉 I love watching my grandson in all the many sports he’s active in, including horseback riding and sharing our love for horses. I love quiet evenings on the deck watching the sun go down and the wildlife come out.

I’m married to my hero and have two beautiful children, who are now adults and building their own worlds. I live in the Kettle Moraine area of southeastern Wisconsin where glaciers once ruled and left the land wondrously carved with rolling hills and rock.

Having spun stories in my head for years, I couldn't describe the excitement of seeing my dream come true as my characters sprang to life and stepped within the beautifully bound pages of a real live book. With my latest projects, I look forward to many more….

Thank you for visiting and have a wonderful day.