In second grade, I wrote a short story that was chosen to be published in a local anthology called Season of the Heart: Selected Writing from La Crescent and Hokah Minnesota. I wish I could say this spurred me on to a career in writing, but at that time it didn’t. As an avid reader my whole life, I never considered I should be writing my own stories. But, my time in Afghanistan left me with all these ideas and experiences floating around in my head. So at the age of 35, for a New Year’s resolution, I decided to do a five-year writing experiment. I started out with short articles and stories and was pleasantly surprised when some of them were published. Beneath the Ancient Dust: Inspirational Stories from Nine Years in Afghanistan grew out of that “experiment.”
I have since that been able to write for blogs, publish magazine articles, write short stories, become a reporter for my small town newspaper, and even write poetry. My new project is to tackle writing several women's fiction novels that take place along the Mississippi River Valley.
Besides writing I have a love for traveling, nature, books, and coffee. I am passionate about people recognizing that God is working in their lives and people connecting to community. I now live in the Midwest with my husband John, two children Malcolm and Emily, and Jack (the family dog), and Perry (the cat with his own miraculous story). As a NICU nurse by profession, I am privileged to care for premature babies and their families who overcome very difficult obstacles. I have a B.A. in Cross-Cultural Communications from Bethany Global University, a B.S.N-C degree from Viterbo University, and a Creative Writing certificate from Minnesota State College Southeast. Currently, I am a part time reporter for The News-Record and the co-editor of, The Stir, a women's blog for my church.