I've created stories my entire life, but putting them down on paper took a backseat to building a career and having a family. Although I wasn't writing the stories, I journaled daily. It was that habit which led me to write a book about how journaling changed my marriage in a magical way. It was in a new season of life that writing became the thing that tethered me to reality. My husband passed away and a few months later the world experienced COVID. I didn't have a way to process what I was feeling, so I wrote. Through writing to heal, I found my joy again in creating stories. My background is varied and takes a few wild twists and turns. I've done everything from firefighting to driving a cattle truck. Eventually I. made my way to college and received a B.A. in Communications. One of those twists in life led me to a career in financial services for a decade, but my creative side wanted an outlet. I turned my world on end and opened a retail store, designed a line of eco-friendly accessories for women and staged properties for a local developer. Another twist and I spent a decade as an investment and luxury real estate broker. It is because of these diverse and sometimes unusual experiences that I believe stories grow so prolifically in me. I've met some wonderful mentors along the way who have pushed me to keep writing. It is because of them that I'm realizing my dream of being a writer.