Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in the city of Peoria, Illinois in a blue collar family. My father was the last of a dying breed...surviving both the depression and WWII, he became an apprentice running a printing press and built himself up in the company. He taught me a good work ethic and the importance of the little man in the every day world, and his love of history and wonderful stories gave me inspiration to write historical romances that were centered around the dynamics of socioeconomic status, race, and culture.
When did you first start writing?
The first story I ever wrote was in fourth grade...I won a Young Author's competition with my story about the Underground Railroad called: The Big Train. I dabbled in poetry and short stories when I was in high school, some of it pretty dark (reflecting common teenage angst). My first year of college, however, I found a love of creative writing when I had to write a J.R.R Tolkien-esque story for a class. My English professor submitted one of my descriptive essays for publication in our school newspaper. With a degree in Political Science, I wrote multiple papers a semester, although more research oriented in nature. Ten years ago, I started writing my first historical romance, and I've been writing in some form or another ever since.
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