Have you always loved books?
I grew up in a home where an evening spent reading was as magnificent as it was ordinary. My sister and I filled color-coded plastic bowls with snacks, burrowed into the sofa, and let our parents settle in around us. Whether we were all reading the same book or each reading different books, my family occupied fictional worlds as agreeably as we occupied the real world.
Have you ever wanted to know more about the people behind the stories?
As a child, I looked for connections with my favorite authors. Laura Ingalls Wilder shared my first name. Beverly Cleary wrote about kids who lived on a street near my house. Louisa May Alcott elevated a quiet family like mine. Lucy Maud Montgomery told stories about a girl with an imagination I recognized.
How I wished I could meet my favorite authors! And just … be around.
As an adult, I’ve read many of my favorite authors’ published journals. I’ve toured their historic homes-turned-museums and pictured their daily lives, ever more intrigued by the connection between real life and creative writing. Ever more intrigued by the notion that an ordinary woman living an ordinary life might spin all those ordinary moments into a magnificent story.
Now, that ordinary woman spinning stories is me. And I love inviting readers to be around. To join me in those special moments when real life inspires fiction.
My novels (soon to be released!) feature characters celebrating and struggling with the same kinds of decisions you and I do. My interactive serialized stories are directly influenced by readers like you, and my podcast episodes reveal the story behind the story. My journal entries share the delights and disappointments inherent in creative work. My book reviews ask questions about what we’re learning, as well as what we find beautiful, uncomfortable, humorous, devastating, or promising.
Sometimes, I even do stuff that’s not reading or writing.
Like swimming, enjoying nature, listening to music, and organizing whatever feels messy. And I love island life here in the Pacific Northwest, where I live with my rock star of a husband and a rescued mutt who surprises us in some new way almost every day.
Thanks so much for stopping by to get acquainted. Let’s keep in touch!
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[Author photo by Suzanne Rothmeyer]