Bio
I've been in love with words all of my life.
"Word nerd."
"Dictionary girl."
"Bookworm."
"Always telling your shaggy dog stories!"
Note: They aren't shaggy dog stories if they happen to be true.
My parents tell me I could read well at the age of three. "You just KNEW." My maternal grandmother liked to show me off to her bridge group by having me read Woman's Day magazine. I spent most of my childhood sucking down books like they were candy. I teethed on the Heinlein juveniles, dove deep into the many Oz books, and craved adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, drama and more in the years that followed.
I am irredeemably cross-genre. I can't seem to help it. Whether I'm writing memoir, self-help, or one of my other non-fiction projects - or I'm diving deep into sci-fi, romantic thrillers, time-tripping family drama, or a mix of psychological thriller/horror - I give it my all. I love writing about strong women and decent men who aren't afraid to fall in love or admit they are wrong every so often. I love asking "What if?" and then running down that answer, in whatever deep, dark hole it manifests in. I'm not afraid to write the darkness and the light.
Genre is a construct. If you enjoy one of my books, you will quite likely enjoy another even if it is in a completely different genre than you are used to reading in. Give it a try!
I wrote my first book, Get Organized, Stay Organized in 2008. In 2020, I stopped running my housecleaning business (thank you, Covid) and dedicated myself (almost) full-time to writing. In 2021, I released three books and as soon as I catch up with all of the audiobooks (I like to have my books available in all formats readers might enjoy them), I plan to jump back in to producing a solid 2-3 books per year. Hold me to that, will you?!
I'm a unreliable and flighty gardener, I love to shoot pool (I joined a league in 2022 and play competitively now), pet my pooches, and I'm a crafter and occasional artist.
Weird fact: I tend to avoid cooking except in winter and then I make lots (and lots) of soup. I do, however, make an exception for my dogs. Yes, I cook food for my dogs (but not necessarily my kids) every 3rd day or so, for the past year or more. They love me. I mean, they really, REALLY love me.
I am lucky to live in a creaky old house, built in 1899, with my husband and three of our kiddos in Kansas City, Missouri. As a result, life is full of continual home renovation projects!
I've been a mom, stepmom, foster mom and now adoptive mom to eight amazing humans ranging in age from newborn to their mid-30s. By the time I'm done raising our youngest (born September 2021), I will have been actively raising kids for over 51 years. Crazy, but true.
And if that weren't enough, I manage one short-term rental - Cottage West and we are currently renovating the house to the east of us to become a mid-term rental in early 2025. Learn more about The Cottages by clicking on the link. Meanwhile, here are some pictures...
