Writer, mother, grandmother, jewelry artist, and snark-hunter extraordinaire.

 I have lived all my life in the upper Midwest. I don't know if this has influenced my stories or characters, but it has definitely influenced the settings I use. My characters are likely to be farmers, adventurers or explorers, living in wide-open spaces and often influenced by the land and weather around them.  I have been writing for much of my life, with a concentration on fantasy and speculative fiction. A mother of two and grandmother of one, I now live in eastern North Dakota. 

 I grew up in East Grand Forks, MN. My first real taste of writing as work was in high school, where I served for two years as copy editor and one year as editor of the school paper, the Green Crest.  I serialized my first novel, later expanded into The Time of the Wolf, in the Green Crest during my senior year.  

 I majored in English at Moorhead State University (now Minnesota State University Moorhead), with an unofficial minor in liberal arts. During my senior year I had a short story, "Galactic Wash," published in the university's student paper, The Advocate.

 From 2000 - 2003 I was a contributor and later an editor at the ezine/online writing community Toasted Cheese.

 In March 2005, inspired by a friend who had self-published a fantasy novel, I self-published my first novel, Silver and Blood, and a short-story collection, Tellers of Tales (no longer in print).  To date, I have published ten novels and two other short-story collections.  

My hobbies include crafting unique jewelry, squirrel-watching, maintaining my Little Free Library, and seeking out brilliant new creative media in all forms (as well as revisiting old favorites). I aspire to be "mad, bad and dangerous to know," but would settle for the ability to afford part-time maid service. Currently I am probably in need of a haircut and some dark chocolate.  I can be found on Amazon, Goodreads, Patreon, and Kofi, or at my desk with a pen, a notebook, and at least one cat within reach.