Look and Listen

Biography

Kiki grew up in Wheaton, IL, busy with piano lessons, Girl Scouts, dancing school, baby-sitting and all the usual cheers and tears of the 1940's. She earned degrees from Smith College and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Her careers began with teaching high school English & Journalism, then Designs by Kiki, then capital and mission fundraising at a national level of the Presbyterian Church and now retirement from Senior Adult Ministry at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley. She and her husband live in Scottsdale near three sons and their families.

Inspiration

I am inspired to write about people I have known well. My own genealogy and my strong background in psychology provide motivation for my characters in fiction. A love of factual research enriches and influences the actions of my characters in fiction and non-fiction. My faith runs through everything I do, and I have been blessed to grow up and work with strong, well-educated people of faith. As a youngster, I read voraciously, everything from biographies to old books on the family shelves. I loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories, Quo Vadis, Log of the Betsy Ann, bird books and Albert Payson Terhune about dogs, and The Little Dutch Tulip Girl. I read Etude music magazine cover to cover. I had pen pals around the world. As an only child of busy parents, I was expected to be self-sufficient and resourceful. My reading today includes religious titles, Bible study, and dozens of chiller-thrillers where I can analyze what makes people do and say things. Biographies are still fascinating to me. Wallace Stegner and Michener are favorites. I study books like A Bend in the Road for interesting structure. My recent experience with seniors and their retirement issues gives me a new focus plus a rich source of life stories. Everyone should leave a written trail of joys and tears for future generations!