About Me

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I grew up in Bellevue, WA and spent my summers as a child, in the San Juan Islands. Like Shaye, in Pavey Boulevard, I too dropped out of college, and spent a few years trying to figure “it” out, whatever “it” was. I worked on a fishing boat in Alaska, I learned to fly airplanes, I moved to Hawaii (for love, of course) and along the way, I figured out that “it” was today, and we are all just doing our best to find love, and meaning, in our lives. I eventually went back  to school and finished with a Masters in Aeronautical Science. As if flying airplanes, catching fish and living in Hawaii wasn't enough, I wanted to work for NASA. 

Along my corporate career path, I had a family, and somewhere in the middle of all that, I realized my stories needed to be told. I have always created stories, drafted them, tossed them aside, and started over. My girlfriends and I would make up stories in bars, don’t judge, just to keep us entertained, and I found my creative brain running away with me. 

My first book, Pavey Boulevard, is my favorite. Only because, like any first born, I made all the same mistakes a new parent would make. Over thinking, rushing, not rushing, should I, shouldn’t I. But after many edits, and many sleepless  nights, I finally finished the book. It is better than I ever imagined it could be, and I am so proud to tell Nick and Shaye’s story. Through the process, other stories evolved and I am blessed to be able to bring them all to life. 

I hope my experiences and my stories inspire you to be bold, to take chances, to see the world for the beautiful place it can be and to live a life filled with love. 

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched; they are felt with the heart” 

- The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupér

I have been to twenty-six of the fifty United States and my favorite places are Jackson, WY, Kailua, HI and the San Juan Islands, WA.  

There is something magical and extraordinary about these three places that captured my heart. The majestic Tetons invoke in me, feelings of being part of something bigger than myself, transporting me to a time when life wasn’t so easy.  I also think the women in the wagon trains saw those mountains and said to the men, “Nope, I’m done, This is heaven right here. You can go on but I am staying.” And they plopped themselves down on a piece of land. That makes me feel strong and capable, thinking that maybe others before me did what was right for them. 

Kailua, HI; what words can I use to describe the peace and serenity of this beautiful place? I will never forget the smell of the salt air, the warmth of the sand, and the smell of the plumeria flower. Time stands still on this beach and it is the greatest place for a nap, melting into the sand under a Hawaiian sun. The cooing of the doves in the morning reminds me that they mate for life, something we should all be lucky enough to find. 

The first time I went to the San Juan Islands I was 5 months old. My grandparents were building a house and my parents put me under a tarp in the woods where I could sleep. Can you imagine? Growing up, I spent my summers there. Now that I am older, I appreciate the gift my parents gave me, of living a carefree childhood, free from video games and cell phones. Getting to the Islands is half the adventure, and I love that I can now share this beautiful archipelago of Islands with my daughter.

These three places are brought to life in my books and I hope I do them justice.