In 1989, my husband Bruce and I acted on a dream we'd held for years. We quit our jobs, sold our home, bought a 40-foot sailboat and sailed the South Pacific for two years. After cruising, I couldn't bear the thought of returning to my former job as computer programmer/analyst at a large insurance company. Bruce encouraged me to follow my heart, so I began to write. We sold the boat and bought a home on Camano Island in Northwest Washington. My office looks out on five acres of clover-covered fields and evergreen forest. Our four grown children live in the greater Seattle area, within an hour or so of our home. Our five grandchildren, as diversified in their interests as their parents, keep us up-to-date with what's really going on in the world. I've had well over 400 articles published in magazines and newspapers. My first efforts were articles about sailing our Bristol 40, offshore cruising tips, and destinations. My writing soon expanded to other interests - RV travel, gardening, our two years with the Peace Corps in Africa, issues of interest to homeowners, and places to go, things to do. I'm active in the American Red Cross and respond to disasters locally and nationally and have written about these experiences, too. My articles have appeared in publications including: |
My novels, Rosemount and McClellan's Bluff are contemporary westerns set in eastern Washington and Oregon. One of the joys of writing is doing the research. I visited eastern Washington ranches and participated in round-up and branding, learning first-hand the language, dust, noise and mess of working cattle. Bruce and I have camped at many of the settings of these two novels, soaking up the unique, rugged countryside Washington and Oregon offer. This coming year, I'll celebrate the release of my latest novel, Tenderfoot, a romantic suspense with a sub-plot of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption. New techniques in on-line promotion have opened doors and I'm looking forward to new marketing approaches. Of course, I'll continue to make personal appearances in bookstores, gift shops, etc. I am a member of Women Writing the West, The Writer’s Guild, Pacific Northwest Writers Association and Electronically Published Internet Connection. In addition to having a book in print, it’s exciting to be involved in electronic publishing. I believe e-books will become as common as paperbacks and videos. After all, in the early days after World War II paperbacks were predicted to be a failure but by 1950 they were a part of every reader’s library. Later, it was feared that videos would replace movies but they have enhanced the film industry. E-mail and the Internet have opened electronic avenues for communication in all fields. E-books, too, will become a part of our lives and it’s fun being on the front lines of this rapidly expanding technology. For my latest news, please visit my blog accessible through this website. |