Curious?
Well, come along then . . .
Writing
first snagged me soon after I became a Christian
at the age of twelve. My best friend Gwynne and I met in her family's
screen porch every available hour that summer to pen our "great
American novels." After all, if her sister could write a novel,
couldn't we?
Summer
came to an end before we finished those stories, and not
until high school and college did I experience my first opportunities
to write for publication. As a reporter, I loved interviewing
people and writing news stories.
About
eighteen months before college graduation, I began dating Jim---my
very own handsome hero. Marriage, setting up our home, and eventually
raising two sons took center stage.
When
I returned to writing, I decided to tackle a novel. What an
eye-opener! Writing fiction required lots of learning and growing.
Steeping
myself in classes at Christian writers conferences and struggling
through correspondence courses, I studied countless books and magazine
articles on the craft and industry. All the while, I worked steadily
toward my goal.
Along
the way,
I helped start Word & Pen Christian Writers Club which still serves
the Fox River area of Northeast Wisconsin.
And
I wrote, and wrote, and wrote.
While
honing those fiction writing skills, I tackled articles and devotional
manuscripts for Christian magazines, and kept up with two monthly
columns. For ten years, Together In Faith published my devotionals
in "Love With Shoes On." For five years, I researched and
edited the "Market News" for American Christian Fiction
Writers' e-zine.
Then
in
1999, one of my profile articles took 6th Place in the Inspirational
Category of Writer's Digest's Writing Competition. That piece
became my first cover article, published in the May 2000 issue of
The Christian Communicator.
Five
years later, I suddenly found myself in a speaking ministry. This
allowed me to teach the true nature of love to women's groups and
how-to workshops for Christian writers.
More
than 350 of my nonfiction manuscripts have appeared in Christian newsletters,
newspapers, magazines and anthologies. The most recent, "Raspberry
Patch Parable," is a true story published by Evangel (Indiana).
Though
I continue to write articles, devotionals, and hopefully, more stories
as the Lord leads . . .
.
. . these days I happily focus more on my long-time dream of becoming
a published author of Christian romantic suspense.
