Fourth grade, 1980 something, I wrote the most creative mystery my teacher had read. Without my knowledge, she signed me up for my very first young writer’s conference. I loved it! An all day conference devoted to young, budding writers. Not only did I get out of school the whole day, I finally knew what I was going to do when I grew up.

Fast forward to my sophomore year, I returned to the same conference at the bidding of my American Lit teacher. After she read my creative writing assignment, she took an interest and kept me informed about any contests I could enter. I was writing my own stories at home, but was too worried about showing them to the world. At the conference I met a romance author who lived in Iowa. She gave a class on showing vs. telling. I got a lot out of it and the class cemented my desire to be an author.

Then life got in the way. I met the man who is now my husband. I decided to make a career of working with horses and went to college on that decision. Instead, I got married, dropped out of college, then the kids came. My writing had taken a back seat for four years. While my husband finished his college career, I was at home raising our twins. It was at that time the call came to pick up a pen again. Combining my love of suspense/mystery, horses, rodeos, cowboys, and Christianity, I crafted a horrible novel. A few years later, I got involved with some writing groups and learned the craft of writing amidst having two more children and moving seven times.

Convinced I’d never get my foot in the door without some help, I joined Romance Writers of America, then recently American Christian Fiction Writers. The best investments I ever made. The next three years I finished my seventh draft of my original mystery, turning it into a Romantic Suspense. I submitted to agents and one right after another was promptly rejected. My mentor/critique partner at the time suggested I start over. So, on my eighth revision of Five-Second Penalty I produced a book that has landed me an agent and is currently on editors’ desks.

It took me one husband, four kids, and nine years later to get where I am today. God has taken His time to mold and shape me into the author He wants me to be and not all of that molding was painless. But it was certainly well worth it.

I hope to add more adventures, but for now that’s about it for me.