I am an award-winning author of young adult novels. I write about things that scare me. Some of those things may frighten lots of people. Others may scare only me. Either way, I find that writing about those things makes them a little less scary for me -- and hopefully for my readers as well.
My plan is to keep writing until nothing seems scary anymore.
I was not always a writer. In fact, I never considered myself a writer until recently. That does not mean I haven’t been writing for a while, years in fact. My first book, which has only recently been published, was 8+ years in the making. I have always considered myself a creative person, but not artistically gifted. I can’t draw, paint or sculpt. I can’t sing or play any instrument. I can dance, but the days of doing it well are long gone. I struck upon writing after much trial and error, and I haven’t looked back.
I began writing while I was making my living as a corporate lawyer. My job was largely devoid of creativity, and I longed for something -- anything -- that would appease the artist in me. I began writing at night, on weekends, and even during my lunch breaks. About 10 years into my legal career, my husband and I moved to England. A job took us over there, and love for the country and its people kept us there for 5 years. I kept writing, and, just as I was on the verge of finishing that first attempt at a novel, another job transfer sent us back to the US. This time we landed in Westchester, New York, where I set that first novel aside and began writing Sycamore Lane. My husband and I survived several harsh winters and a super-storm in New York, before making the decision to relocate closer to family. We shed our winter coats, loaded up on sunscreen and moved to sunny, warm Jacksonville, Florida, where I finished Sycamore Lane and mustered up the courage to publish it. I also began work on what would become my second published novel, Inland, which is set in New York City and includes some of my favorite sites, experiences and aspects of that incredible city. Once Inland was published, I dusted off the very first book I ever wrote, breathed new life into it and published it as well. ORTUS (Book One of The Elixir Vitae Adventures) was my third published novel and the first book in my young adult series. JUVENIS, ADULTUS, SENECTUS and MORTEM (Books Two, Three, Four and Five of The Elixir Vitae Adventures) are now available as well.
As much as I enjoyed writing for a young adult audience, it was time for me to make a change. An idea for an adult mystery had been haunting me for a while, so I finally decided to try my hand at capturing the story on the page. The result is the Old City Mysteries, a paranormal mystery series set in St. Augustine, FL. It features a reluctant, novice private investigator and a teenage boy who can see dead people, as well as plenty of mystery, murder, and the macabre. The first book, A Place for Good and Evil, will be released August 1. Book Two will be out in October, with Book Three to follow in January 2025.
After spending time at book festivals and attending author discussions (as both an author and a book lover), I wanted to provide other authors, like me, with an opportunity to speak directly to readers about their books and love of writing. To that end, I now host a podcast called The Bookshop at the End of the Internet. It is a podcast dedicated to helping book lovers discover new authors. You can find it on My Podcast page, as well as on Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeart Radio and YouTube.
After almost twenty years as a lawyer, I finally retired from the practice of law and am devoting myself full time to writing and podcasting. Thankfully, my life is now full of creativity -- and being a writer is the best job in the world!
My plan is to keep writing until nothing seems scary anymore.
I was not always a writer. In fact, I never considered myself a writer until recently. That does not mean I haven’t been writing for a while, years in fact. My first book, which has only recently been published, was 8+ years in the making. I have always considered myself a creative person, but not artistically gifted. I can’t draw, paint or sculpt. I can’t sing or play any instrument. I can dance, but the days of doing it well are long gone. I struck upon writing after much trial and error, and I haven’t looked back.
I began writing while I was making my living as a corporate lawyer. My job was largely devoid of creativity, and I longed for something -- anything -- that would appease the artist in me. I began writing at night, on weekends, and even during my lunch breaks. About 10 years into my legal career, my husband and I moved to England. A job took us over there, and love for the country and its people kept us there for 5 years. I kept writing, and, just as I was on the verge of finishing that first attempt at a novel, another job transfer sent us back to the US. This time we landed in Westchester, New York, where I set that first novel aside and began writing Sycamore Lane. My husband and I survived several harsh winters and a super-storm in New York, before making the decision to relocate closer to family. We shed our winter coats, loaded up on sunscreen and moved to sunny, warm Jacksonville, Florida, where I finished Sycamore Lane and mustered up the courage to publish it. I also began work on what would become my second published novel, Inland, which is set in New York City and includes some of my favorite sites, experiences and aspects of that incredible city. Once Inland was published, I dusted off the very first book I ever wrote, breathed new life into it and published it as well. ORTUS (Book One of The Elixir Vitae Adventures) was my third published novel and the first book in my young adult series. JUVENIS, ADULTUS, SENECTUS and MORTEM (Books Two, Three, Four and Five of The Elixir Vitae Adventures) are now available as well.
As much as I enjoyed writing for a young adult audience, it was time for me to make a change. An idea for an adult mystery had been haunting me for a while, so I finally decided to try my hand at capturing the story on the page. The result is the Old City Mysteries, a paranormal mystery series set in St. Augustine, FL. It features a reluctant, novice private investigator and a teenage boy who can see dead people, as well as plenty of mystery, murder, and the macabre. The first book, A Place for Good and Evil, will be released August 1. Book Two will be out in October, with Book Three to follow in January 2025.
After spending time at book festivals and attending author discussions (as both an author and a book lover), I wanted to provide other authors, like me, with an opportunity to speak directly to readers about their books and love of writing. To that end, I now host a podcast called The Bookshop at the End of the Internet. It is a podcast dedicated to helping book lovers discover new authors. You can find it on My Podcast page, as well as on Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeart Radio and YouTube.
After almost twenty years as a lawyer, I finally retired from the practice of law and am devoting myself full time to writing and podcasting. Thankfully, my life is now full of creativity -- and being a writer is the best job in the world!