~My Bio~

I grew up during the Fifties in a rural setting outside Portland, Oregon. A country girl, I was unaware of life beyond my borders until, as a 15-year-old, I traveled to Sicily and lived with a family of six brothers and one sister. It was during that summer that I began to see things as they are.

Travel has that affect on people. Whether we go from one country to another or from one stage of life to the next, the trip increases our knowledge and, hopefully, our appreciation of other customs and traditions.

As a writer, I present things as they are, but strive to show the power of positive choices in changing lives for the better. In my book series, Sisters at Heart, a group of six women meet at a low point and continue their friendship over the years. Through their joys and heartaches, they discover wisdom, strength and support from one another, the Bible, and ultimately, God Himself.

During my life I’ve had the privilege of working and praying with hundreds of women, and have grown in my admiration for womankind in general. Our world has changed dramatically, and we’ve been expected to change right along with it. In many ways, we’ve been successful—in some ways, we’re still working at it.

For the sake of my daughters and grandchildren, I write stories about women in our changing world, hoping to raise awareness of the choices set before us—as well as their resulting consequences.

My husband says I’m a passionate person and he’s right. I feel passionate about God, family, friends, life, and love! That same passion fuels my desire to write, whether in my books or blogs, especially about issues of interest to women.

I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Portland State University.

I maintain two blogs—

	The Power of Positive Choices, in which I ponder the truths of the Bible
	Pro-Life Tribe, which I host as a forum for pro-life ministries/individuals

~My Professional Life~

From 1994-2003 I worked at the Pregnancy Resource Centers of Portland, Oregon. Much of that time I was Director of Services, overseeing the work of six centers, the abstinence department, and the post-abortion recovery ministry. I also oversaw the conversion of our centers from non-medical to medical entities offering limited first-trimester ultrasounds.

In 2003, Care Net (a national affiliation of pregnancy centers) contacted me with an offer to become their Medical Services Consultant. In that role, I was able to help many of their 1,000 centers make the conversion to medical, including limited ultrasounds, STD testing, and full/partial prenatal care. In addition, I had the great pleasure of working with leaders in the pregnancy center world as Project Manager for the medical manual, Medical Perspectives.

In 2006, I felt the Lord calling me to full-time writing. In accordance with my mission statement (below), I focus on life issues, using much of what I learned “in the trenches” to reach hearts. Today’s audiences love a good story, and likable fictional characters can often speak directly to the heart.

~My Mission Statement~

•    To communicate the Biblical principle that God gives man the right to choose and the responsibility to choose rightly (Deuteronomy 30:19)
•    To demonstrate the power of positive choices through the lives of my characters.