My Story

My family hails from Canada by way of England and Scotland. I was born in Michigan and raised in Toronto and California. I first learned to read when I was just three years old! My grandmother taught me with the “Dick and Jane” flash cards she used with her students.   I fell in love with reading and have been at it ever since…

I usually have at least ten books on my nightstand and a couple more in my car with topics ranging from historical fiction to innovations in trauma therapy. I read until I fall asleep at night.   I read on the road, if someone else is driving of course.   My nose is in a book much of the time. My love of books stems largely from my appreciation for their capacity to hold and integrate the many elements of our lives in one "place" -- in one narrative.

My very favorite stories are those written for children, told with words and pictures – Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge , written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas, and The Honey Bear , written by Dixie Willson and illustrated by Maginel Wright Barney, are two picture books I especially love. They embody such profound human experiences, in all their depth and complexity, and do so in the elegance of few words and evocative images. 

Whenever I write, be it for an adult, professional audience or a story for children, I lose myself in the process of writing – it’s a lovely feeling to wander through the ideas, words and pictures in my mind as they take shape and land on the page. Professionally, i am writing and speaking on the integration of trauma and theology as they interact and impact healing. My children's stories are about being scared and being strong, grief and gratitude, Christmas, being at the beach, and animals, because animals are often so much wiser than people.  I am a proud member of SCBWI and for many years served as Co-Coordinator of the West San Gabriel Valley Mingle.