Life in central North Carolina, the tiny town of Zebulon, to be exact, is slower paced than life in the bustling cities of Fort Worth/Dallas, TX. Texas will always be my home, where I was born and raised, where my family still lives, but I love North Carolina now and can't imagine ever living in Texas again.

Being a published writer was a dream I had through high school and into my first few years as an Air Force sergeant's wife. But "reality" set in as I began raising my family and moving every few years at the whim of the military. Those moves and the ensuing experiences were recorded in my ever-growing collection of journals. At that point in my life I thought my dream of being a "real" author was dead.

In 2006, after being single for almost eight years, a wonderful lady came into my life. She refused to believe me when I told her I had no dreams, that there was nothing more I wanted to accomplish in life. Finally, in a vain attempt to shut her up, I told her I had always wanted to be a writer.

"Write me a story," became Lisa's mantra. In another vain attempt to shut her up, I wrote her a story. And then another and then another. "Now, write me a book," she said. I laughed, but secretly I began to believe I actually COULD write a book.

Welcome Home, my first novel, is the result of the encouragement I received from Lisa and the self-confidence she helped me gain.

Out of the Past, my second novel, is the result of the self-confidence I gained as I proved to myself I can write and people will read what I've written.