Bio:

The world of imagination captured me as a young child listening to tales of the Arabian Nights and the brothers Grimm. And this world was made real in the centuries-old architecture and landscapes of Austria and France, where I lived until I was six when my family moved to the U.S. and made our home in Missouri. There, I loved reading books up in the branches of an old mulberry tree where nobody could see me; it was also a great place to eavesdrop on conversations of people passing by on the sidewalk below.

When I went to college, there was no creative writing major, so I got a B.A. in German, with minors in art, English and library science. The children's literature courses I took reaffirmed my passion for children's books.
After I married my husband Dean, a nuclear engineer, we moved to Maryland near Washington, DC. I worked in information science and took the Institute of Children's Literature correspondence course, which helped me get published in children's magazines. Later, we moved close to Raleigh, North Carolina, and started a family. Our two daughters, Alexandra and Veronica, inspired many stories. They have both grown up and flown the nest now, Alexandra to teach middle school chorus, and Veronica to major in art & design and textile technology at NC State.
I love my job as editorial assistant at The Ensign, a magazine for boating enthusiasts, where I constantly learn new things and sharpen my editorial skills.
I have been published in magazines such as Pockets, Highlights for Children, Sparkle and Children's Playmate, as well as in anthologies from Boyds Mills Press and Kendall Hunt Publishing. I received Author of the Month pewter plates from Higlights for Best Story in the Issue for "Mr. Bizbee and Miss Doolittle" (Feb. 1987) and "VROOM!" (Oct. 2001).
My nonfiction picture book, Seashells, Crabs and Sea Stars, published by NorthWord, was named one of three "Best Family Beach Guides" by Family Fun, June 2005. The book was also included in a compilation, More Fun With Nature.
An enthusiastic member of SCBWI:Carolinas since its beginning, I have been on the planning committee for several conferences, and often help with manuscript critiques.


Writer
PAL
Member since 1985
Region: Carolinas

Contact Information

Published In Children's Market: Yes