I write because of the love affair I’ve had with words my entire life. From the time I learned to read, I escaped into the fantasy world between the covers of a book whenever possible. Literally I inhaled everything I could get my hands on—children’s books, Reader’s Digest books, Louis L’Amour, Zane Grey—even Comic Classics from the grocery store. When I wasn’t reading, I was writing short stories and poems. I was one of those students who actually enjoyed a book report assignment. I always dreamed of writing a novel and must have started at least a dozen times, but as it so often happens, life would get in the way and I never finished. When my kids grew up I decided if I was ever going to start a book AND finish it, this was my chance. So I did.

Four books and two WIPS later, I’m still at it. Believe me I had a lot to learn. I still do. Early on, I stumbled on to a great online critique group, something I highly recommend for several reasons. You get valuable feedback from a lot of people and develop a thick skin, something you’re going to need when you begin submitting your work. I learned to write, edit, polish, submit and begin again. I had to learn from my mistakes, and above all, never, ever give up. I’d submitted my work to at least a hundred different editors and/or agents before signing my first contract with a small press specializing in eBooks. It’s been a roller coaster ride ever since, but I love every minute of it.

Besides being a writer, I still work full-time as a secretary. My husband and I have 3 kids and five grandchildren who keep us busy trying to be a part of their lives. Our house is over one hundred years old and in a constant state of remodel. I love garage sales, flea markets and antique malls. Repurposing is a passion of mine, and something I started doing long before it was popular. I use old doors for headboards, locker baskets for storage, scraps of architectural pieces for shelves. I dabble in painting with acrylics, photography, making jewelry and sewing.

In Not Long Ago Erin has met the man of her dreams, but as usual there are complications. It’s one of those long distance relationships, and Griffin is a little behind the times– somewhere around 600 years. Erin and her employer, March, are whisked from the present to a time where chivalry and religion exist alongside brutality and superstition. In the midst of frantically trying to get home, Erin meets her knight in shining armor. Her world is centuries away, and she still wants to return to it, but she can’t stop thinking about Griffin.

In the sequel, From Now On, things pick up right where they left off. Erin and Griffin have met. They’ve fallen in love, but their story isn’t over. Not only are they forced to overcome things trying to keep them apart, but they must learn how to live with each other. Not an easy task for two people from two vastly different worlds.

In My Own Shadow is a fantasy about a young woman named Lara who is yanked into a parallel world by a total stranger who says he’s trying to protect her, but from who? She’s forced to deal with desert people, vampyrs, banshees and people who want something she doesn’t have. Or does she? Along with her companions, she searches for these and other answers.

The idea of traveling to another time or another dimension has always fascinated me. I was introduced to the concept at a very young age through Poul Anderson’s Three Hearts and Three Lions and There Will Be Time, Robert Heinlein’s The Glory Road, and Madeleine L’Engle’s, A Wrinkle In Time, just to mention a few. These books got me hooked on the idea.

In a way I guess you could say I am a time traveler. Whenever I find myself immersed in a good story, reality fades into the background, and what I’m reading becomes real. I find myself transported into the world in the book.

Imagine going to the past and meeting someone like Abraham Lincoln or Mark Twain? Being able to get up close and personal. Seeing them for yourself instead of through someone else’s eyes. And then there’s traveling to other dimensions where magic is real, or visiting alternate realities to find out what my life might be like if history were different.

What if you could go back and see your parents or grandparents when they were your age and spend time with them? Look at them from a totally different viewpoint. What would they be like? Would you find things in common? What if you had the chance to visit a younger you? One that hasn’t made the mistakes or learned the lessons you’ve learned. Wouldn’t you be tempted to try and change things?

One of my favorite time travel stories of all times is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. A 20^th century woman named Claire Randall is sent back through time to 17^th century Scotland and must learn to cope in a world far different from her own. Ultimately she chooses it over her own time, because of the man she loves and cannot forget. It’s been made into series for STARZ, and these words flash across the screen on the trailer: What if your future…was the past?

Doesn’t that give you chills? You have to admit the idea is intriguing. How would you cope? Could you live without electronics or indoor plumbing? What would society be like? Isn’t it fascinating to think of what it would be like to visit? And who knows? You might decide you actually prefer it to living in the present. It’s a thought…

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