I began my author journey at a later age than most, and often wonder why I waited so long.

When I'm not working on my novels, I can be found hanging out with my kids or grandkids, or belting out tunes at karaoke!

I have been described as somebody with a positive outlook on life, yet when I write my stories, they rarely seem to have happy endings.

What can I say? I'm a hot mess -- maybe? Maybe I just recognize that life isn't all good or all bad. 

It is a thrilling mixture of both, and to ignore one would be at the expense of appreciating the other.

Stories of passion, triumph, and tragedy. I have always loved to tell them, to hear them, to live them. 

Happy ending or not, they are the stories of life -- of living. To feel, happy or sad, is to live. 

I have experienced the tragedy and triumph of surviving an abusive childhood, a brush with death after narrowly escaping a nightclub bombing in Berlin, Germany, and after too many failed relationships, I found the love of my life and married him; only to lose him to a rare genetic disorder just 13 months later. 

Through all of this, I have held onto my passion for life, love, and a good story. 

Life may be painful at times, but it is short … enjoy it, experience it, feel it. While you can.