I was born at home on a farm in Petoskey, Michigan. That is where my passion for the outdoors began; I was always exploring fields and woods. I loved reading Charlotte’s Web again and again as a child, and I loved writing plays that my friends and I would perform for family.
When I am not writing, I’m outdoors running, biking, walking, or wandering through Michigan’s four seasons. I also love playing the piano. I am married and have two adult daughters. I enjoy working part time as a financial secretary and volunteering at the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan.
More about me
In 2006, at age 48, I ran my first marathon. The next year I qualified for the Boston Marathon and ran Boston in 2008 the day after my 50th birthday! I also qualified and ran Boston in 2016 and virtually in 2020 because of the pandemic.
I wrote the manuscript for my first children’s picture book, Alyssa’s Afternoon, in 1978 in a Children’s Literature class at a community college. In 2020 after attending a children’s book writer’s conference, I reworked the manuscript to honor my daughter who had Down syndrome but passed away shortly after birth. Since then, I have been on a journey to have my children’s picture book published.
