Welcome to my new website. I’m glad you’re here!

I hope you will find this a casual, hospitable place to visit; a place where you can kick your shoes off and unwind from the stresses of the day. Perhaps take away something to put away for safekeeping, brought out as a gentle reminder that we are not so different—that we are all in this crazy world together.

While this website is new, writing is not. I’ve been at it for more years than I care to mention. Writing is a solitary endeavor and for those of us who are introverts, this profession is a safe choice.

Long ago, had someone told me that I’d spend innumerable hours working while being paid intermittently, I would have said, “Pfft! How ludicrous. Who would do that?”

Certainly, no one in their right mind would subject themselves to such mistreatment. The public scrutiny, critiques, and personal humiliation caused by composing volumes of the written word only to have it rejected or worse—to publish it and withhold payment.

I once spent a year asking a now defunct magazine for payment. Unusual concept, but I’d written an article in exchange for (drum roll please…) money. I practice common courtesy and expect the same from others; therefore, I remained professional with email requests and phone calls. When those were ignored, I resorted to a well-rehearsed nasty gram and then threw up my hands in defeat.

Months later, I received a check and hand scrawled note from the editor stating a simple truth: “I’m afraid I’ve treated you badly.”

While the magazine was obviously in financial straits, a straightforward approach would have left me with a better understanding of their situation: “We’re broke. We cannot pay you. Thank you for being a regular contributor to our publication. We wish you all the best.” Effective communication goes a long way.

While that was an isolated incident, it did not have a negative impact on doing what I love most. I felt bad for the staff and for those who so obviously put their heart and soul into the magazine’s success. There had to be passion and commitment to take on the challenges of such a changeable industry, and it must have been devastating for them to shut it down.

At times, I have become frustrated. I have threatened to “shut it down,” to close up shop and move to a yurt in the middle of nowhere. But I come from a hearty stock of people that don’t give up easily. As a result, I’m in it for the long haul. I decided that if I never sold another thing, I would never stop writing. Besides the closeness of family and friends, this is what brings me joy. This is what makes my heart sing.

I have a regimented schedule and like dogs, crave routine. I begin writing before daybreak, infused with cups of full-bodied, dark roast coffee and work a steady pace until noon—or until the caffeine wears off. While my butt could easily become one with the chair, I have three beautiful souls who remind me to get up and move; to leash up and hit the trails, to breathe deeply and enjoy the restorative properties of being in the moment.

While writing is my passion, reading is a close second. I love immersing myself in a well-crafted book. Many talented novelists astonish me with prolific prose that leaves me wrecked with emotion, yet yearning for more. I appreciate how much time and effort goes into writing, editing, revising and waiting, while also growing that required thick layer of skin.

It’s not always easy to populate pages with readable text and it’s certainly not the mysterious profession that many imagine. Writing is not glitzy or glamorous. It is not fleeing to France, becoming an expat and sipping glasses of 1982 Chateau Margaux with other artsy souls. It is not penning tomes of Pulitzer worthy prose in a trendy café in Tuscany. (Though if you do this, please don’t tell me!)

This is my world. This is my reality. I’m just a disheveled woman hunched over a glowing computer screen, cobbling together words that I hope others will enjoy.

Thanks for visiting. I hope to see you again!