I’ve been a high school English teacher, a marketing director, a violinist, and a riverboat deckhand (not in that order). In this space, I write about everyday things that inspire me: travel, backyard barbecues, diaper-changing, nose-picking, airports, middle school classrooms, roadkill.
I have a cupboard full of coffee mugs, travel itineraries planned for Iceland, Scotland, and Mallorca, and two daughters ages 10 and 13 who have forced me to take up mountain biking, rock climbing, and skiing. I love France, cooking, and my long-haired dachshund (maybe in that order). As Paul Simon says, “These are the days of miracle and wonder.”
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? My answer? I’d write stories. So while I cringe at the threat of failure, I gather my grit and corral my words. May this be a space that sparks stories to treasure and to capture what’s worthwhile.
I am currently querying my first novel, RIDDLEMOSER. Set in 1990s coastal South Carolina, RIDDLEMOSER reimagines The Grimm Brothers Rumpelstiltskin with the queen as the villain, the artist Riddlemoser as her victim, and a conspiracy that spins his art into her gold. I am editing my second novel, a YA fantasy where teenage sisters Marie and Marthe risk their futures when a group of mice shipwreck on their French island and need help destroying The Red.
I was born in Phoenix, Arizona, grew up in rural Pennsylvania, and currently live in (and love exploring) Pittsburgh, PA. I graduated from Grove City College with degrees in English and Communication. After working a few years in new media marketing, I pursued a lifetime passion: teaching secondary education English. I hold a Masters of Arts in Teaching at The University of Pittsburgh. Currently, I serve as Director of Marketing for The Being Well Center, where my colleagues daily change lives for people struggling with ADD/ADHD. I continue to teach adults as a Teaching Director for Community Bible Study. My heart and home are in Pittsburgh, PA with my husband, children, and a valiant-hearted dachshund.