People often ask why I enjoy writing novels. My answer is simple. I write to entertain you.
I began writing a l-o-n-g time ago–in second grade, in fact. Most of my stories were written for a class assignments. In grade school I often illustrated my little stories. Stick people never had it so good.
But let me take you back to my earliest years. I was born in San Francisco and lived most of my pre-college years in San Carlos, twenty-five miles south of “The City.” I attended San Jose State University with the intention of becoming a high school teacher. After teaching for three years, I yearned for more. I moved to Colorado, where I pursued two masters degrees at Colorado State University, one in Counseling and Student Personnel management, and a second in History. Upon graduation I relocated to Salt Lake City where I worked for the University of Utah as an academic advisor and instructor in the history department.
After spending four years at “the U,” I moved to Lawrence, Kansas, to complete a third masters degree–this one in Art History with a specialty in Japanese woodblock prints.
Most of my professional life was spent in non-profit management, working for arts institutions and global causes. I worked for the Kansas City Art Institute, the Kansas City Symphony, and the KU College of Arts and Sciences. I also enjoyed working for Save the Children and the Audubon Society. Ultimately, I established my own consulting firm with a focus on non-profit management, fundraising, and board relations.
I retired early to follow my grade-school dream of writing. Finally, I had the time to conjure stories–primarily fiction but some nonfiction. Since beginning my new career, I’ve written three suspense novels: The Third Knife, Return of the French Blue, and She Rides with Genghis Khan. This series links two families that found their mission in espionage: the French Resistance, the CIA, and the French Directorate. I hope you enjoy their stories as much as I relished creating them–particularly the strong female characters.
Recently, I completed a time travel series. The first novel is The Can-Can Girl and the Mysterious Woman in Pink. The second, recently published, is Broken Portal in Rocky Mountain Park: The Last Pandemic. The third is Jincan Antidote, and takes place in Macau, 1844. Beware the pirates! All three novels focus on well-known paintings which harbor a deadly secret.
