About me
In my early childhood, I knew I wanted to be a writer.
I read voraciously and penned stories but never shared them with others. When I was entering high school, I was told by my guidance counselor that I’d never be a writer.
Luckily, my soul’s voice was much louder than his, and I began to write. Initially, I wrote personal essays, and one submission led me to a long-term gig, writing personality profiles for a community newspaper. Since I lived in Upstate New York, not too far from New York City or the Berkshires in Massachusetts, I was able to capture the stories of many artists, writers, and musicians.
One rainy Sunday afternoon, I sipped tea with Kermit Love, the creator of Sesame Street’s Snuffleupagus and Oscar the Grouch. Another time, I sat in the storeroom of one of The Body Shop stores, interviewing the Founder Anita Roddick. Soon after, I met New Age music pioneer, Stephen Halpern and later penned a story about his music journey.
Over time and with many other publications, my responsibilities grew from freelance writer, to contributing editor, to managing editor. Then the world of book publishing opened up to me, and I began working with a number of publishing houses, including the For Dummies publisher and Masters Press in Indianapolis.
My work has been celebrated by my colleagues, and I’ve received several awards for my non-fiction writing and my poetry, including:
- Gallery ‘05 Student Literary Arts Journal, Second place for my poem, “So This is the Arroyo.”
- Valley Byliner’s Contest, First place, nonfiction, “Black Drum Speaks.”
- Society of Professional Journalists Best in Indiana Journalism, Second place for profile on Margot Adler.
- Combined Health Appeal Award, Coverage of health topics, The Bristol Press.
As my portfolio grew, so did the number of people who knew about my work. I often heard the remark, “I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but never knew how to begin.”
That’s when I began coaching private clients in crafting their stories.
I’ve been blessed to work with a number of aspiring authors, guiding them through the writing process to bring their vision alive. After I completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from the University of Texas Pan American (now Rio Grande Valley), I was hired to teach in UTPA’s First-Year Writing Program.
I’m currently teaching at National University, Pikes Peak Community College, and Southern New Hampshire University, teaching first-year composition classes and also marketing for aspiring writers.
What do you do and why do you do it?
My mission is to: Bring Light into the World with Words. I write and ghostwrite; I provide writing coaching services to aspiring authors, and I help them build author platforms.
What changed for you after age 50?
Through a lot of personal work, including mentoring with our dear friend Laurie Seymour, I became more comfortable in my own skin. I began to believe I had a larger role to play in this world. I trusted that my work was divinely inspired, and my responsibility was to listen to guidance and take the right action.
What would you tell the 20 or 30-year-old YOU?
Your “why” is you. Undervaluing yourself and accepting bad behavior from others, driving yourself into the ground to “finish” your to-do list, is not what God created you to be. You are an incredible writer and a gifted teacher, able to hold space for others to discover more of who they are and what they have to share in this world through their own writing.
What do you think you’ll tell yourself in retrospect at the end of your life?
You’ve made a difference in many lives, especially after you believed in who you are.
What impact do you think increased visibility can have on your business?
I’d be able to draw more attention to my own writing – and in turn, that would trickle down to the clients I have been working with – and it will also help me attract aspiring authors who truly want to invest time and money into their projects.
Who or what inspires you and why?
I believe that when we have an idea for a book, God has tapped us on the shoulder for a mission. It’s our responsibility to nurture the relationship with that project and trust that even if we don’t know how many books we’ll sell or how many lives we’ll touch, that message will make a difference to someone – and perhaps even save a life.
Something else I’d like to share
I am deeply inspired by the choice work and conversations I’ve been having with my 24 year old son and his friends for the past 2 1/2 years. To be let into the inner workings of their thoughts and issues, and be able to play a role in supporting them to think differently, which they’re passing onto their friends, is so meaningful to me.
