Look and Listen

Biography

I was born in western Pennsylvania, and early on had an interest in animals. In my sophomore year I wrote a ten-page treatise on the Ruffed Grouse, PA's state bird when the English instructor said it couldn't be done. I have lived in PA, CO, LA and AZ and my interest in animals has continued, resulting in my harboring horses, dogs and cats in abundance. Serving as a cool-out walker at trotting races, and working briefly as a veterinarian's assistant has given me insights into the animal kingdom. I have written poetry, fiction, essays and served as a contributing editor to a national magazine. I am currently working on my tenth novel. Four of my novels have been published, including: A Race for Glory Run; The Bride Price; The Chording of T. O. Malone; and Up the Hill, Through the Long Grass.

Inspiration

I love a challenge, and some of what I've written occurred when an instructor or reader said, "You can't write about ......." I also think of myself as a 4-H writer. I write: HOPELESS pieces which go directly to the round file; HACK pieces that I write for money (brochures on new products, etc.); HEAD pieces that are written in response to a challenge ("You can't write a western or a romance with an unhappy ending." That led to my novel, THE BRIDE PRICE, which is a western romance with an unhappy ending.); and HEART pieces which are written in response to things that have affected me emotionally.