My story begins with a bridge over a creek, an empty notebook, and a childhood of magic.
In grade school, I began collecting antique fairy tale books, and before long, I was imagining tales of my own. During the summers, I would sit on the bridge that crossed the creek behind my house, an empty notebook in hand, and write. That wooden bridge became the first place my stories took shape.
I’ve always had a habit of getting a little lost in the clouds. I daydream about hidden cottages tucked deep in the thick woods and the mischievous goblins lingering beneath the bridge of a nearby creek. When I walk through a forest, I still find myself looking for fairies amongst the wildflowers, and hoping to come across the witch’s house right off my path. Not having come across any of these things yet, I turn to pen and paper to create my fairy-tale worlds.
Some stories lead me into worlds of magic. Others lead me closer to home.
My stories of faith grow from my own experiences. I wrote my first devotional, The Invisible Line, for police families and those who love them. Since then, I’ve continued writing devotionals about faith, family, overcoming obstacles, and finding the courage to let go.
For twenty-six years, our family lived the rhythms of law-enforcement life. As the wife of a law-enforcement officer and the mother of two sons, I leaned heavily on my faith through the uncertainty and challenges that came with it. Those experiences found their way onto my pages, becoming my first story of faith, family, and strength.
When autoimmune diseases led me to leave teaching behind, writing became an even bigger part of my journey. What had begun with a discarded spiral notebook on a wooden bridge built by my grandfather grew into books, devotionals, writing groups, and a community of wildflower hearts. Through it all, I’ve never stopped believing there is always a little bit of magic hiding in the ordinary.
In the process, I learned to appreciate the little things even more… like hunting for fairy doors in the woods and stopping to smell the wildflowers along the way.
Perhaps you’ve found your way here because you still look for a little magic in ordinary places, too.
Maybe you love stories about witches who could live next door, worlds hiding beyond the veil, or words of faith for the hardest parts of your journey. Those are my stories, my heart.
There’s always room for another wildflower heart here.
A Few Things You Might Be Wondering…
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Not usually in my devotionals, BUT I do such a thing in the Resident Witch series. If you’re familiar with my hometown of Beaver, PA, then I think you’ll notice some shops and places.
How do you select the names of your characters?
I keep a list of favorite names I come across in everyday life, but I also keep a baby name book on my desk. I tend to flip through it when I need inspiration with a new character.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot?
That’s pretty easy– I’ve always been drawn to the dragonfly. Hence, the title The Diary of a Dragonfly. However, I would be remiss if I did not say that my mascot is my late writing partner, Berkley. He was my 80-pound, 13-year-old “pupper” who inspired the character Bentley in Tea Leaves and Trouble!
What literary trips have you gone on?
I toured Ernest Hemingway’s Key West home twice, wishing I could write for a moment in his treetop writing room each time. My husband kindly visited the Parisian cafe where Hemingway wrote The Moveable Feast, and he had his photo taken on Ernest’s favorite stool since I couldn’t join him. I’ve also seen Walt Whitman’s home and plan on heading to Salem to visit Nathaniel Hawthorne’s house, stopping in Tarrytown to see Washington Irving’s Sunnyside home.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Keep growing your imagination! Write about princesses, trolls, and witches. Create worlds and universes!
Stay a Little Longer…
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