THE STORY
The Plot
When a former journalist and public relations executive decides to turn her life experiences into marketable fiction, she vows to create a bestseller. But can she complete her mysterious manuscript before her senior discount cards expire?
The Character
She has weathered five siblings, three husbands, three 500-year floods, one typhoon, the Blizzard of the Century, and the Great Ice Storm of 1998.
She has raised poodles, pigs, and holy cain.
She has an autograph from Buck Owens, a letter from Walter Winchell, a thank-you note from Barry Goldwater, and a photo of herself with Michael Landon.
She's been to the Far East, Canada, Mexico, and the Smithsonian.
She can count to ten in four languages, and she knows the difference between a weed and a flower (well, most of the time).
Oh, and she is a Capricorn.
The Backstory
She has been writing since she was old enough to know which end of the pencil made the words appear. When she was 15, she won first place in an essay contest. At 17, she shared second place for news writing in the University of Tucson's Journalism Day contest. Later that year she made her first sale, a poem titled "Equivocations." The magazine folded before the poem was published, but the $5.00 check cleared!
The Research
She has chased fires, con men, and tequila with beer.
She's worn erasers down, sneakers out, and Navy blue.
She has devoured $500-per-plate roast beef, surplus C-rations, and prison "cuisine."
She's crossed the International Date Line, the Sonoran Desert, and at least one or two people.
She has planted trees, ideas, and her feet in a stubborn stance.
She's played politics, Monopoly, and mp3s.
She has held confidences, heard confessions, hidden tears, and hugged strangers.
Credits
Her nonfiction work has appeared in a number of publications, including Phoenix Magazine, American Girl, Scouting Magazine, The Pet Dealer, The Arizona Horseman, and Outdoor Arizona.
Her interest in genealogy resulted in publication in Lifelines, the Journal of the Northern New York American-Canadian Genealogical Society.
Her poem "Baby" was published in Adirondack Journal.
Awards
National Federation of Press Women
Arizona Press Women
Arizona Press Club
Valley of the Sun Newspapers
