Hi there!

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
— Charles M. Schulz

My Story

(If you're eating a piece of chocolate while reading this, my day will be complete.) My passion is writing; any kind really, except maybe boring technical reports (I've done this, so I can say that.) I wrote my first story at age 7 when I was bored at church, and I knew it was what I wanted to do with my life. The art of entertaining with words and sharing thoughts about a topic hooked me.

Here are a few other things about me you might like to know:

In my spare time, I love to read but I listen to a lot of audio books now. I used to consume tons of romance but now include mysteries, thrillers, and the occasional horror novel. I love comics (especially Archie comics), gossip magazines, and also biographies and historical nonfiction. Oh, and I usually can't turn down the classics - American and British.
I love to listen to paranormal podcasts, watch scary movies with my eyes covered, and can't resist a rerun of Seinfeld or The Office.
In a past life, I was average on the piano, clarinet, and violin - all instruments I like to play badly now and then just to keep me humble.
I love dark chocolate and sunsets more than sunrises, but when we lived in a place where we were awoken by the sunrise from bed, I realized why people wake up for them. The dawn is gorgeous!

Me in Powell's Bookstore in Portland, Oregon, 2016.

It is one of my favorite places!

I have 4 siblings (our older sister passed in 2012) and 14 nieces and nephews, who are so much fun!

I also have 6 stepchildren (our son Charlie passed in 2024) and 4 grandchildren who are a delight and have accepted me into their lives very lovingly and graciously.
My career for the last twenty years has been in massage therapy (link opens in new tab if you're interested), and I thoroughly enjoy helping clients feel relaxed and refreshed - at least that's the goal.
I LOVE animals, but sadly, I developed allergies, so I currently have no pets. Growing up, I was the kid who always brought home the strays and nursed them back to health. I miss having animals around me!
My husband and I recently transplanted from the heart of Utah to southern Montana on the edge of Yellowstone. We love it, although I'm not so sure about this winter nonsense.

♡ Check out a few pics of my prior pets, and my hubby and me on our trip to England in June of 2024. He grew up in the Winchester area, and this was my first time going (and also leaving the US. It was great!)

The River Itchen in Nik's hometown of Winchester, UK.

Portchester Castle in Portsmouth, UK. The Roman Wall is on one side of the perimeter. That was cool to walk around and think about all the people who walked and fought there.

A cool old oak tree in the New Forest, UK. Maybe some tree fairies live here. ;)

Stonehenge! Bucket list item for me! (Nik used to eat lunch next to the stones with his Grandpa when he was younger!)

A better picture of the stones. It was such a beautiful day and moment!

The architecture was absolutely breathtaking in Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury, UK.

King Arthur's Round Table, The Great Hall, Winchester, UK.

(I may have spontaneously started crying when I saw this. I've loved the legend of King Arthur and Merlin forever; it's no wonder I like to write about fairies.)