The Early Days
I grew up a handful of miles just south of Nashville in Tennessee's dairy country. In those pre-cable, pre-internet days (yes, people, there WAS life before them!), I spent my time reading, watching the four channels of t.v. that existed, playing sports, and telling stories to a menagerie of pets and animals (until my younger brothers were old enough to appreciate them).
Consequently, small towns, and especially farming communities have a special place in my heart.
There's this misconception that life in small towns is simple. I disagree. I've seen or heard of just as much love triangling, backstabbing, and political game-playing as I've ever seen in "big city" living.
I propose that small town life is, instead, more pure or concentrated living. You kind of have to cut the crap, and there aren't a lot of distractions.
Most of my childhood, I dreamed of being a veterinarian, so when it came time to pick a college, there was only one place to be: Big Orange Country.
Despite strong grades and success at the college-prepatory high school I attended, the pre-vet curriculum kicked my fanny.
Time for Plan B: Teaching
Being an oldest child, I have a natural proclivity for teaching (or what my brothers might call being bossy). And I have to admit, of all the jobs I've had, teaching was my absolute favorite.
But after a big life change just after the new millennium (cue the entrance of my new fiancee), I moved to Central PA. Since I didn't know anyone here, I went back to playing with the voices in my head and writing stories in my free time.
Then after another major life change (cue exit of said fiancee), I learned about the Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill University. I decided it was now or never to see if I could do this.
Time for Plan C: Writing
I applied and was accepted, so I enrolled, took out my student loans, and gave myself a pep talk about being a serious writer for the two+ years of the program.
My second semester, I won a scholarship, then I pitched my thesis manuscript to a publishing house (they liked my submission and offered me a contract)...and the rest, as they say, is history.
These days I have a much smaller (and more managable) menagerie consisting of three persnickety parrots and a sweet little Schipperke who likes to help me plot my stories on our long walks together. You can check them all out on my Pets page.
