Born on February 14, 1959, my mom often remarked I was the best Valentine she ever received. Growing up in South Jersey was good. We had plenty of fresh fruits and veggies to choose from every summer and lots of snow to play in during the winter. My neighborhood consisted of mostly boys, and I grew up as one of them. We made up games, built forts and filmed our own movies. It was a creative kid’s paradise. Little wonder I wanted to be a writer.

Writing before I could put thoughts on paper, I created stories for my younger sister and story lines for our dolls to act out. As I got older, I wrote skits for Girl Scouts and the church youth group. An avid reader, I devoured every book I could get my hands on and finished many of them by flashlight under the canopy of my blanket, well past my bedtime. (Oops, I hope my parents don't read this!)

Life interrupts our dreams sometimes, and for a long while, I forgot I wanted to write. But in the spring of 1994, a late-term miscarriage caused me to put words on paper as an attempt to deal with my grief. The love of writing welled up in me once more, and I began to write children’s books.


Today, I am a mom, grandmother and writer. I still enjoy living in Southern New Jersey with my husband, Daryl, two daughters, Anna (age 16) and Mary (age 14), and three cats.  My son, Scott, and his wife, Gayle, blessed us with a granddaughter, Kendall Marie, in September 2006.

When I’m not busy with family or manuscripts, I squeeze in as much reading as I can. Cooking, sewing, baking,  playing the piano for church and our local summer theater children’s show; all these activities boost my creative side, and I’m a better writer because of them.

One of my favorite places to be is the Jersey shore. I love everything about the beach; the ocean, the seagulls, the salt air and the peace I feel as I watch the waves crashing on the sand and sliding away to do it all again.

Two years ago, I asked my daughter, Mary, if she would be embarrassed if I sat in on her tap dance class and she said, "Probably." I told her to get over it and am starting my third year of tap.

Being a part of the Greater Phila. Christian Writer’s Fellowship and a private critique group, The Writeen Crue, has been instrumental in developing my writing skills. God has brought friends to encourage and support me, and I pray I give back as much as I have received.

I attend the Fairfield Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Fairton, NJ, where I am a Pioneer Club leader and choir member.

On many of my children’s books, I work with my friend and artist, Kim Sponaugle. Together, we form “Bread & Jam,” a book ministry for children ages 2-10.