Paranormal Suspense (vampires, zombies, shifters, and ghosts)
Ghost Fiction & Ghost Mysteries
PUBLISHED NOVELS:
THE ONE AND ONLY, book #1 in a dark-fantasy series, published April 24, 2018
THE TETHER, book #2, published April 23, 2019
THE TURNING POINT, book #3, published June 1, 2020
WRITING ACCOLADES:
October 2020: The Turning Point was named a 2020 BookLife Prize Semi-Finalist in the Sci Fi/Fantasy/Horror category (the national BookLife Prize Self-Publishing Fiction Competition is sponsored by Publishers Weekly)
July 2020: The Turning Point’s first line was selected by BookLife as one of the best
WORK HISTORY:
17 years with local school system, the last 11 in the capacity of Public Relations Coordinator, including PR writer, webmaster, and social media facilitator
Contributor to education column for two Gannett newspapers
Former Corporate Publications Editor for a leading poultry company
Technical writer and graphic design/printing broker
EDUCATION & NOTABLES:
BA in Communications from Penn State (Main Campus)
Graduated with Distinction
Varsity Swimming
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
TIDBITS WHICH MIGHT SURPRISE YOU:
Early childhood (age 3 to 5 years old) lived in Mexico; primary language was Spanish
Raised in a haunted house (7 years to 18) in West Chester, PA, called Bleecker Hall
Swimming exchange student to Wuppertal, Germany, and my host Regine will be a friend beyond our lifetimes
Former Jet Ski racer (standup); ranked #8 in nation (for novice) in 1998
CURRENT HOBBIES:
Reading, of course!
Hiking
ATV riding
Paddle-boarding
WHAT PASSIONS FUEL MY WRITING?
Pairing myths & legends with science, leaving readers to wonder…are they possible?
Survival themes
Potential for government corruption (non-partisan!)
Looking into the near-future and asking “what if”
The potential for pandemics (included this way before COVID)
Love or romantic connections
WHAT AM I READING?
LAYLA by Colleen Hoover
FAVORITES (*TRILOGIES/SERIES):
THE PASSAGE* by Justin Cronin
A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES* by Sarah J. Maas
THE RAVEN BOYS* by Maggie Stiefvater
WORLD WAR Z by Max Brooks
THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS* by M. R. Carey
THE 5TH WAVE* by Rick Yancey
DRACUL by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker
DRACULA by Bram Stoker
THE HUNGER GAMES* by Suzanne Collins
DIVERGENT* by Veronica Roth
THE STAND by Stephen King
TWILIGHT* by Stephenie Meyer
FAVORITE MOVIES and TV SERIES:
Signs (All-time Favorite)
I Am Legend (Second All-time Favorite)
The Sixth Sense
Underworld
Avatar
True Blood
Jurassic Park
Big Little Lies
Yellowstone
Poldark
Kill Bill
The Last Ship
Spartacus
Downton Abbey
Pride & Prejudice (with Keira Knightley & Matthew Macfadyen)
Game of Thrones
Vampire Diaries
Dark Shadows
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
The Tudors
Outlander
FAVORITE HEROES (from Film/TV):
Uma Thurman (Beatrix Kiddo in KILL BILL)
Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse in TRUE BLOOD)
Zoe Saldana (Neytiri in AVATAR)
Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser in OUTLANDER)
Andy Whitfield and Liam McIntyre (both played Spartacus in SPARTACUS)
Will Smith (Dr. Robert Neville in I AM LEGEND)
BEST VILLAINS (from Film/TV):
Chiaki Kuriyama (Gogo Yubari in KILL BILL)
Kathy Bates (Annie Wilkes in MISERY)
Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton in GAME OF THRONES)
Tobias Menzies (Captain Jonathan Randall in OUTLANDER)
Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon in GAME OF THRONES)
FAVORITE WRITING RESOURCE BOOKS:
STRUCTURING YOUR NOVEL by K. M. Weiland
WRITING A KILLER THRILLER by Jodie Renner
OUTLINING YOUR NOVEL by K. M. Weiland
UNDERSTANDING SHOW, DON’T TELL by Janice Hardy
SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder
PLOT PERFECT by Paula Munier
GUIDE TO MAGAZINE ARTICLE WRITING by Kerrie Flanagan
