Unlike many authors, I didn’t grow up dreaming of bestselling novels. For most of my childhood—and well into college—I planned to become a veterinarian. Caring for animals was the goal. Writing was simply something I enjoyed.
But life has a way of redirecting even the most carefully charted plans.
After two and a half years of science courses, I realized veterinary medicine wasn’t the right fit. Several major changes later, I graduated with a degree in English and eventually moved from Idaho to Tennessee. What began as a temporary assignment clearing fax machines turned into a twenty-two-year career in the mortgage industry.
Writing, however, refused to stay buried.
In 2014, a coworker mentioned National Novel Writing Month. I accepted the challenge—and finished a book. Then another idea followed. And another. What started as a creative experiment quickly became something far more enduring.
Today, I write contemporary romance that explores faith, second chances, and the quiet ways love reshapes our lives. My novel Midnight Blue was a finalist for the Holt Medallion and the Maggie Award and won the Angel Book Award in 2023.
Two years ago, after my division was shut down, I made a deliberate career shift. Instead of returning to a field I wasn’t passionate about, I stepped fully into editing and mentoring authors. I now help writers hone their stories and navigate the business side of publishing with clarity and sustainability.
When I’m not writing or editing, I’m likely somewhere new. I’m currently living a digital nomad life, traveling the country and pet-sitting along the way—an adventure that provides both fresh inspiration and plenty of four-legged companions. (Ironically, my childhood veterinary dreams ended the day I fainted in biology class. Apparently, compassion and weak knees don’t mix.)
Whether through fiction, editing, or mentoring, my heart remains the same: to tell stories that matter and to help other writers steward theirs well.