Author

Author Photo with ELI Series

GENRES I WRITE:

  • Dark Fantasy
  • Ghost Fiction
  • Speculative Mainstream
  • High Concept Crossovers
  • Psychological/Domestic Suspense

PUBLISHED NOVELS:

  • MYSTIFIED, a ghost fiction mystery, standalone, published March 22, 2022
  • 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:

  • February 2021: The Turning Point was awarded Honorable Mention from Writer’s Digest in its 2020 Self-Published E-Book Awards!
  • 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

WHAT AM I READING?

  • FINAL RUIN by C.G. Harris

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

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/UTV riding
  • Paddle-boarding
  • My dogs (a.k.a. furry children)

Pups at Christmas 2020

WHAT PASSIONS FUEL MY STORYTELLING?

  • Pairing fantastical elements with science, leaving readers to wonder…are they possible?
  • Survival themes
  • Strong women
  • Love or romantic elements
  • Diversity

WRITING STYLE:

  • Genre blending
  • Multiple points of view
  • Third person (close)
  • Short chapters
  • Sprinkles of humor

MASTERPIECES (Best of the Best):

  • Modern: THE 7 1/2 DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton
  • Classic: DRACULA by Bram Stoker

OTHER FAVORITES (*Duology/Trilogy/Series):

  • BIRD BOX* by Josh Malerman
  • COME WITH ME by Ronald Malfi
  • MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
  • DRACUL by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker
  • THE PASSAGE* by Justin Cronin
  • THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS* by M. R. Carey
  • A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES* by Sarah J. Maas
  • THE RAVEN BOYS* by Maggie Stiefvater
  • WORLD WAR Z by Max Brooks
  • THE 5TH WAVE* by Rick Yancey
  • THE HUNGER GAMES* by Suzanne Collins
  • DIVERGENT* by Veronica Roth
  • THE STAND by Stephen King
  • TWILIGHT* by Stephenie Meyer

FAVORITE ALL-TIME HEROINE & HERO:

  • From THE HUNGER GAMES: Katniss Everdeen (flawed, fierce, and loyal)
  • From THE LAST KINGDOM: Uhtred of Bebbanburg (emotionally wounded, fierce, and loyal)

FAVORITE MOVIES and TV SERIES:

  • Signs (All-time Favorite)
  • I Am Legend (Second All-time Favorite)
  • Ghost
  • The Sixth Sense
  • The Hunger Games
  • The Last Kingdom
  • Yellowstone
  • Ozark
  • Squid Game
  • Avatar
  • The Shining
  • Jurassic Park
  • Big Little Lies
  • Kill Bill
  • Spartacus
  • Downton Abbey
  • Pride & Prejudice (with Keira Knightley & Matthew Macfadyen)
  • The Edge
  • Dirty Dancing
  • Underworld
  • Meet Joe Black
  • Dark Shadows (the original series!)
  • True Blood
  • Poldark

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

FAVORITE AUTHOR RESOURCES:

  1. The Manuscript Academy (http://manuscriptacademy.com)
  2. Manuscript Wish List (http://www.manuscriptwishlist.com)
  3. Writer’s Digest video tutorials (https://tutorials.writersdigest.com)
  4. Query Tracker (https://querytracker.net)