Some kids know from an early age what they want to be when they grow up. Others end up in a career that is far removed from what their families would have expected. For me, writing came late in life – but it really shouldn’t have. 

I always wrote stories for my friends in school, told scary stories on command. It came to me fast and easy. In college, I took a writing workshop under Appalachian writer Gurney Norman where I learned a great deal about writing fiction while pursuing a degree in the sciences. Still, I thought of writing as something you did for fun and not as a career. 

When I made the move to rural Virginia, jobs were few and far between – much less careers in the science field. I saw an ad for a course where you could learn copywriting one day and I got curious. I didn’t have any idea what copywriting was, so I began doing a little research. It sounded like a good way to earn some money at home but the course costed several thousand dollars.

I kept looking, and found a course that I could download online for $40. I printed it out and put it into a notebook to use as my daily guide. It provided resources for where to get freelance jobs and how to handle clients. That’s when I began writing articles and blogs from home. 

One thing that freelance writers learn quickly is that work flow is never consistent. You might get bombarded with projects from every client at one time or go for weeks or months without getting anything. During these dry periods, that’s when I began writing “When Carabella Went Missing.” Unfortunately, the time for publication landed during the Covid-19 epidemic. There was no way to “get out there” and promote my first novel. 

I am currently working on my second novel, a supernatural tale that, of course, involves a dog. Hopefully, it will be ready for publication by the end of this year and I can finally get out there and meet some people who enjoy my kind of writing.

I live in Virginia on a horse farm with my husband, son, and a wide assortment of pets.