Trust in the Lord with all your
heart and lean not on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:5-6
Growing up on a small farm in rural Western New York where cows outnumber people fostered a love for the great outdoors and the magical world of books. A good book for me usually had a horse or a dog as the main character, or even better, a mystery to unravel. These books inspired writing my own tales of adventure in notebooks stashed under my bed.
When marriage, raising two daughters, and a career in administration became priorities, writing faded into the distance. As a paralegal, administrative assistant, and manager, writing skills were honed on legal pleadings, policies, and all manner of business documents.
Once our nest was empty, my husband, David and I left New York State for sunnier skies and warmer weather in southeast Arizona. The high desert with its beautiful mountain views and independent spirit seemed to encourage risk taking. Since 2005, I’ve been writing for magazines and websites on a variety of topics. Throwing caution to the wind, the real fun began when the Gracie Andersen mystery series was conceived.
Gracie is a new kennel owner, attempting to reinvent herself after the death of her husband. She struggles socially and emotionally to find solid footing for her new life. Her hometown of Deer Creek is inhabited by some colorful characters who keep life interesting. Haley, Gracie's Labrador supplies plenty of canine antics as the pair insert themselves into murder investigations and a few dangerous situations. Humor, a mystery, and a little romance are in each book.Most of the books are set in my hometown area in Wyoming County, NY.
Two other books were written in the midst of the Gracie series, a Christian novel following the lives of three estranged sisters, and a devotional book focused on gardening Scriptures. Retirement from the day job in 2015 has allowed more time for writing and with three additions to the Gracie series, a short story based on an actual murder in 1904 Wyoming County, NY, and the true-crime memoir co-authored with Stephen Tarbell, Too Close to Home: The Samantha Zaldivar Case. My latest book is The Disappearance of Sara Colter, a mystery set in 1934 Bisbee, Arizona, which was released in February 2020.
I'm a member of the national Sisters in Crime and Sisters in Crime - Tucson chapter. I am a grateful recipient of multiple Poets and Writers grants. (2013, 2015, 2017)
Publishing Credits: Guideposts, The Upper Room, PROfile, Christian Devotions, Mature Living, The Sierra Vista Herald, and Portraits.
When marriage, raising two daughters, and a career in administration became priorities, writing faded into the distance. As a paralegal, administrative assistant, and manager, writing skills were honed on legal pleadings, policies, and all manner of business documents.
Once our nest was empty, my husband, David and I left New York State for sunnier skies and warmer weather in southeast Arizona. The high desert with its beautiful mountain views and independent spirit seemed to encourage risk taking. Since 2005, I’ve been writing for magazines and websites on a variety of topics. Throwing caution to the wind, the real fun began when the Gracie Andersen mystery series was conceived.
Gracie is a new kennel owner, attempting to reinvent herself after the death of her husband. She struggles socially and emotionally to find solid footing for her new life. Her hometown of Deer Creek is inhabited by some colorful characters who keep life interesting. Haley, Gracie's Labrador supplies plenty of canine antics as the pair insert themselves into murder investigations and a few dangerous situations. Humor, a mystery, and a little romance are in each book.Most of the books are set in my hometown area in Wyoming County, NY.
Two other books were written in the midst of the Gracie series, a Christian novel following the lives of three estranged sisters, and a devotional book focused on gardening Scriptures. Retirement from the day job in 2015 has allowed more time for writing and with three additions to the Gracie series, a short story based on an actual murder in 1904 Wyoming County, NY, and the true-crime memoir co-authored with Stephen Tarbell, Too Close to Home: The Samantha Zaldivar Case. My latest book is The Disappearance of Sara Colter, a mystery set in 1934 Bisbee, Arizona, which was released in February 2020.
I'm a member of the national Sisters in Crime and Sisters in Crime - Tucson chapter. I am a grateful recipient of multiple Poets and Writers grants. (2013, 2015, 2017)
Publishing Credits: Guideposts, The Upper Room, PROfile, Christian Devotions, Mature Living, The Sierra Vista Herald, and Portraits.
