As a young girl, I found myself just as excited to sit on the porch reading Nancy Drew books as I was shooting marbles and playing ball with the neighborhood kids. My love of reading grew into writing silly stories to give as presents to my parents and siblings. I continued writing, and it was not until I was sixty-five that I published my first novel. I love to write about women who find themselves in difficult situations and scratch and claw to take back their lives.  Family drama. Domestic abuse. Control. Loss. Addiction. Nicholas Sparks, Margaret Atwood, Kristin Hannah, Charles Martin, Elin Hilderbrand, and Jojo Moyes are among my favorite authors. I’m blown away by the remarkable way they capture the journeys and struggles of incredible characters. I also have a passion for books by Iris Johansen, Stephen King, and the team Jefferson Bass—just to name a few. One of my all-time favorite authors is Jean M. Auel, who wrote the Clan of the Cave Bear series. So, what do I enjoy when I’m not writing? Spending time with family and friends is at the top of my list. Reading. I love the outdoors, and the beauty of nature. ​ And… I quilt. I love seeing the tiny squares, rectangles, and triangles morph into beautiful quilts that, hopefully, my family will pass down to future generations. Quilts are like stories to me. Each piece represents a character. The small squares are like scenes. When the small squares are sewn together to make larger squares, they represent chapters. And when the quilt is complete, so is the story. I grew up and lived along the coast of Northwest Florida until the mid-eighties when I moved to Colorado with my husband and three ​children. Being born and reared in a small Southern town where humor and storytelling were a part of everyday life has provided me ideas for endless stories and a bag bulging with fodder for powerful, yet realistic, characters. Although I love the majestic Rocky Mountains, saltwater flows through my veins and the Gulf of Mexico beckons me to return. ​Perhaps this is the reason my books are often set along the beautiful, compelling Forgotten Coast of Florida.