I like reading Google Play books right on my phone. I have a Kindle too, but I find my phone is more convenient since I always have it with me.

I love anything by Alexander McCall Smith. I first discovered his beautiful way of making ordinary characters into people I felt like I knew forever through his Mma Ramotswe series. I love the Professor Dr. Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld series, especially Portugese Irregular Verbs.
I enjoy historical fiction, biographies; nothing is off limits, really.

My desk at home is actually my old rectangular kitchen table. I painted it black and have a black chair with a blue floral cushioned seat. I have a desktop computer that I no longer use, but keep missing the electronics recycling dates so I just have it pushed to the side. I use my laptop 100% of the time to write. Otherwise, my desk is is neat and organized.

I grew up in Southern Illinois, in the village of Dahlgren, population 400. We had a small grade school. I had about 18 kids in my class. In 7th grade, we went to the county Junior high, very small, I think there were about 80 or so in my graduating class.

I love the Midwestern work ethic and humility. We knew just about everyone and we all helped out when a neighbor was in need. I hope there are always communities like that, the world needs more of them.

I was the kid who smiled to herself when the teacher assigned an essay. My mother saved a few of my stories from grade school. They weren't too bad.
Throughout college and in my day job as a Radiology Operations/Breast Imaging Manager I write patient educational pieces. During the pandemic, I decided to get serious and write something I enjoyed. And I did. No writer's block, I just wrote. I'm sure it was all crap, but there I was, like Ralphie in A Christmas Story writing his theme saying, "Oh yeah, that's good..." with that goofy smile. And I was happy. It was for me.

I was approached by an online scammer on a professional site claiming to be a military officer. I quickly saw all the red flags but thought, this could be a great story. What if a lonely woman didn't want to see the truth? What if they met?
I made some really great connections with people who had been targeted, had their identity used, and some were scammers themselves. All were generous to answer my questions and I thank them for that and treasure their friendships.

I thank my editor, first of all. Trying to get an agent is brutal business. It truly is the dreaded elevator pitch to get anyone to listen to you. I thought, why wait? I want to write novels, not query letters(but I'll do that too). So, Penny Fletcher educated me about ebooks and Smashwords.

I would still be waiting for a break, honestly. Smashwords made the process so smooth and provided great connections for formatting and book covers. I highly recommend them to new and established authors.

The greatest joy for me is when my teenagers, Caroline and Tucker, saw my book for the first time and said that's really cool. I hope that they will always love to read and keep learning. Writing is so personal; even fiction. It's scary to bare your soul. I hope they will be brave and do what they love.

Do I have any? I hope so!! I love them. Like Michael Buble sings, "I just haven't met you yet...." ❤❤❤

I am writing about an American who inherits a Belted Galloway farm in Scotland. He is an IT professional and has no knowledge of farming, especially in Scotland.
My husband and I raise Belties ourselves and have quite a few adventures to share!