Greetings! Thank you for visiting my web site and for your interest in my work.

I love to hear from readers. If you have questions about my books or my other writing adventures, you may contact me by e-mail using the form near the bottom of the page to the right.

My books for young readers are listed below. The first editions went out of print a few years ago, but they’re now back in print, digitally speaking, as e-editions! Look for them at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other online sellers. Paperback editions to come soon.

My Mom’s a Mortician (2004) Winner of the AML 2004 Middle Grade Fiction award
Funeral Home Evenings (2005) Winner of the AML 2005 Young Adult Fiction award
Early Morning Cemetery (2006)
The Final Farewell (2007)

I am a member of the Authors Guild, an organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the legal rights of published writers, and I serve as the U.S. Assistant Regional Advisor Coordinator for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. SCBWI is an association for authors, illustrators, and others professionals whose main work is publishing literature for children. If you are interested in writing or illustrating for children, your SCBWI region is the first place to go for advice, support, networking and educational opportunities. Through my involvement with SCBWI, I’ve discovered opportunities to make friends all over the world, increase my skills, and learn from many amazing authors and illustrators.

In addition to writing for young readers, I’ve published articles in Writer’s Digest and The Writer, and the 2001 Writer’s Handbook. I was a commentator for a National Public Radio affiliate for five years, and a newspaper columnist for three. I’ve also earned several awards from the Kentucky Press Association for my work as a newspaper reporter, including three consecutive first-place awards for spot news reporting and one for best sports feature.

 

My philosophy: The desire to create is divinely inspired. Scribble words on a page, sketch a still life, organize figures on a spreadsheet, snap a photograph, develop a filing system for business papers, play a musical instrument, research a cure for the common cold — when we attempt to make order out of chaos, we are using our creative instincts.

 

My loves: Family, faith, friends, education, books, cats, and chocolate. New characters, new stories, new worlds, and different perspectives.

My goals: Use my time and my talents to make a difference, be a buddy, support a worthwhile cause.

My hope: To leave this corner of the universe a little better place than when I entered it.

My heroes: My husband, my daughters, my son. Elementary, middle, and high school teachers. Librarians. Our men and women who serve or have served in the military. Anyone who helps others unselfishly and with a heart full of good will.

People I admire: Creative, caring people like Mr. Rogers. Jim Henson. People who are mindful of how their actions affect the lives of others. People who are kind, even under the most trying circumstances. Anyone who works hard, works honest, and works to make the world a better place.

Photos featuring kittens created by my friend, the fabulous award-winning photographer Jim Pearson.