About Me
People often ask me…
…how I got started as a writer
The answer is a fun story and almost a book in itself. The most important influence was my grandmother. Not what she wrote, but what she created. She was a seamstress. She was very creative in her designs. A lot of my imagination and creativity came from her. Whenever I visited her, she would teach me how to sew. As a young girl I sat for hours with her. She told me a lot about her youth and how America used to be. She had such a good memory and took so much care in their choice of words. Her son, my dad, was the same way. He taught me how to truly tell a good story. He always had an antidote for whatever life presented. Today many of his stories have stuck with me. He had memorized most of our childhood bedtime stories, and embellished them as he told them to me and my siblings. He made up stories. His stories, poetry and songs, I have shared with my children.
As a young amateur writer, I wrote letters, diaries, journals, family histories, bedtime stories, autobiographies, essays and even plays that all the neighborhood children acted in. Over the years, as a full-time working mom, my writing skills and creative talents were limited to birthday party invitations, family newsletters and recipes for the “Recipe Exchange Club.”
However, I was fortunate, to get a chance to put my creative talents and imagination to use. In the late nineties I owned my own toy and gift manufacturing company. I was able to; at last, see my creative juices come to life and to be published. I designed and produced Trivia calendars, Toy calendars and Puzzles, Guide books, Time Capsules, a line of Plush dolls, and many other creative toys and gifts.
I was an entrepreneur that had successfully launched new products in the retail industry. Many of my original and imaginative products were sold throughout the US, Europe and Canada. I was even fortunate to have my products featured on QVC the home shopping show. I was on TV in front of seven million viewers! One year, several of my products were included in the gift baskets for the Jay Leno Tonight show guests.
I sold my business, and focused on my family and worked for a traditional, larger corporation. Over the last ten years, I had a story building inside of me. They say, “Everyone has a book in them”. I had more than a book, I had a passion. I wrote PLUSH in four months. I am writing Island of Lies.
In my earliest years I learn to sew pieces of fabrics together to create beautiful designs. Today I sew stories together and bring them to life on the written page.
…what I do when I cannot think of anything.
Sometimes, I go for a brisk walk or a run. I write early in the morning, so my mind has been trained to write in the wee, dark hours, while the rest of the family sleeps. I write until I hear the birds chirping outside. When the sun comes up, I go for a run. Many times I cannot turn off the story in my head. While I run, I often think of scenes and what my characters are doing. I even carry a mini digital recorder with me. Seriously. Normally my runs yield my most brilliant brainstorms. It is not unusual to see me running through the dusty neighborhood streets of my small Texas town carrying three devices; my ipod, my cell phone and my small, silver dictating recorder. I often wonder what the passing cars think of this jogger with a handful of technology!
If I cannot think of anything for a longer period of time, I intensively work on a new scene or do research. I always carry a notepad and pen with me wherever I am, so I can write when I have a spare minute, or when an idea comes to me.
I can imagine my way out of any impasse.
