At an early age I loved reading, a passion instilled by my mother who never forgot to read those wonderful bedtime stories...classics like The Velveteen Rabbit and Winnie-the-Pooh. By the time I reached the grand old age of fourteen, I was reading different classics with grown-up titles like Gone With The Wind and Wuthering Heights. And then came the day I had to indicate my career plans in a spot next to my high school graduation photo. With a fair bit of audacity I jotted: “Author.” It still amazes me that my dream came to fruition!

The road to publication, however, wasn’t easy. Although I became a teacher by profession, I continued to write, and after my children were born I wrote—and wrote—until at last I sold several pieces of short fiction to magazines. Before long, I finished a novel...and another. And one October afternoon the phone rang and a New York editor offered a contract.

Today, I live far away from my rural roots where the neighbors are friendly and the door always open. Yet, I haven’t forgotten the small-town ambience of my childhood. You’ll often find it in the backdrop of my books.