At heart, I’m an old-fashioned girl trapped in the 21st century who loves Jesus and her family. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved history and historical romances, both in print and on screen. As a native Virginian, I’ve had the privilege of living near some of our nation’s greatest historical treasures and can often be found dragging my family to a battlefield or a museum where I insist on reading every descriptive detail.
After earning my B.A. in Social Studies Education from Messiah College (’87), I attended The Pennsylvania State University (’89) where I received my M.Ed. in history. After one year in the classroom, love, marriage, and the Gulf War intervened and I never pursued my teaching career.
Instead, I traded the classroom for life as a licensed childcare provider so I could be a stay-home mom to our three children Madeline, Michael & Noah. After nearly twenty years in the childcare business, I yearned for something else. Hubby and I began praying for God to give me a new direction for my life, a new passion.
And boy, did He ever!
Inspired by my youngest son, I decided to tinker with storytelling. It was only a matter of time before my love of history and Christian fiction intertwined and my secret hobby became a God-given passion. Four years and two complete revisions later, my debut novel, A Love Restored, debuted with Pelican Book Group (2018). My non-fiction short story, Beautiful Words, is part of the Spoken Moments anthology (Grace Publishing, April 2015).
Through it all, I’ve been blessed to enjoy my own happily-ever-after with my husband and best friend, Mike, for 32 years. We make our home in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains where together we’ve raised three children, four cats, two dogs, a turtle, a guinea pig, a gecko, and countless hamsters. Thankfully not all at the same time. When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with my adult children, binge-watching BBC period dramas, board gaming with my husband, and spoiling my Welsh corgi, Levi.