Biography
I was born in California, grew up in Iowa, escaped to New York and eventually returned home to California. Along the way, I married a musician, had two children (boy and girl), amicably ended the marriage, and watched said children become pretty cool people.
Like most writers, I have always written: fanciful tales penned as a child; awful, angst-ridden poetry in my teens; lines scribbled on cocktail napkins (a college pastime); and literally every other word venue – stories, essays, journals, articles, novels – as an adult.
I graduated with a BA in English from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA. Several other professional writers were in my graduating class – it was a good year. No post-graduate degrees, although a reviewer once said I wrote about "over-educated women." I'm still choking on that one.
And, yes, I've always made my living as a writer, albeit mostly in the corporate realm. Sure, day jobs that involve writing, strategic thinking and tons of stress can drain the creative juices, but if you've got kids to raise and bills to pay, ya gotta put your skills to work.
I've plied my word-spinning in publishing, advertising, marketing, investor relations, corporate communications and employee communications - from startups to mega companies - and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy these jobs. My colleagues are typically super smart; the challenges are interesting, and I have a good head for this stuff. Would I rather spend all my time writing fiction? Maybe - but It's all good.
Member: The Authors Guild; Pen Center USA