It's in the corner of our living room next to the fish tank. I found it at Goodwill. It's got a brown surface and green legs. I kinda love it.

I grew up in an all white suburb in Western Spring, Illinois. The experience has given me many stories to tell and a perspective that comes from feeling part of my community and outside my community simultaneously. I developed my sense of humor as a means of coping with those emotions.

In grade school. I use to bring a notebook with me to school to write down ideas and stories during school. It took me years to show my writing to anyone. I use to hide my notebooks between my mattress.

The story is based on what I went through when I met and married my husband. I learned a great deal about myself during that time. I had to battle all my demons. I never expected to marry a man who had children. It rocked my world, challenged me and ultimately made me a better person. I also embraced having my own children which I never thought would happen. I wanted to inspire women who are still looking for their life partner. I wanted to challenge them to look at the role they may be playing in not achieving their goal. I wanted to challenge them to look at life from a different perspective and embrace the unexpected.

I have stories to tell NOW! I don't want to wait through the traditional publishing process. It can takes months and months.

Yes!

When someone tells me I put words to how they feel. I also just love sitting at the computer and tapping those keys. It feeds me like nothing else.

It encourages me to keep writing on their behalf.

A memoir about the eight month period where I lost my father, put my mother in a nursing home for alzheimer's, uncovered huge family secrets, sold my childhood home, lost my mother and wrote a show about it!

Dave Eggers, S.E. Hinton, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou

My daughters. My creative projects.