I am the youngest of three children, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I remained a Pennsylvanian until the tender age of seventeen. I had recently graduated from high school, thought I was quite worldly, and made a move from the big city to country life in Kansas. In reality, my life had been sheltered.

As I began my trek into Kansas on an early spring day, I viewed the countryside and said to my companion, who would one day become my husband, “They sure have big yards in Kansas, don’t they?”

The ‘yard’ to which I was referring happened to be acres of bright green, unripened wheat. My unwitting remark has remained a family joke throughout the years. Each spring, as the wheat begins to ripen, I’m reminded of those many years ago when I first arrived in the Midwest. Fortunately, I’ve used the past forty plus years to educate myself about the state I now call home.

I reside in Topeka, Kansas, where I now have the privilege of pursuing my writing career fulltime. I am the mother of four children, two boys and two girls, although they arrived in a boy, girl, boy, girl sequence. My oldest son, Steve, and his family live in Iowa; daughter, Michelle, went to her heavenly reward in 1996; son, Justin lives in Missouri; and last, but certainly not least, daughter, Jenna, lives in Florida.

I must admit I was somewhat slow in developing a love of history and must credit my late husband, Jim, with triggering my interest in historical treatises. When I would ask him what gift he would like for his birthday, Father’s Day or Christmas, he would hand me a long list of all the history books he wanted to read. I gave him a hard time about his dull reading habits until I picked up one of his ‘boring’ history books and began reading. I’ve been hooked ever since. In fact, the ideas for many of my stories occur when I come upon some historical tidbit that intrigues me. I then find myself entrenched in research, and a story begins to weave itself into my heart.

Most readers want to know how authors ‘got started’ writing. My first novel, Threads of Love, was conceived when I was commuting sixty miles to work each day. I wanted to tell the story of a pioneer girl coming to Kansas and the faith that sustained her as she adjusted to a new life. When the book was completed, I tucked it away. I had absolutely no idea how publication of a book occurred and had given no thought to the concept. However, through a co-worker, I was directed to Tracie Peterson who, at that time, worked down the hall from me. Having never met Tracie, I was totally unaware of her writing career, but God intervened and the rest is, as they say, history. My writing has continued since then, and Tracie and I have even co-authored several series together. Please check those out on the Books page.

God’s design on the lives of His people never ceases to amaze me! Because I am eternally grateful for my own forgiveness and salvation, I strive to share God’s desire to pull us from the mire of sin and set us free to live exciting lives for Him. Through His abundant grace and love, God gifts and equips each of us to share the story of salvation and eternal life. Won’t you share His story using the special gifts He has given you?