About
me…. Hmmmm?
Well
my stats are pretty simple. I have a BA
in history. My degree emphasis was
European history, mainly the French Revolution, and The History of Religion and
Religion’s Social Impact. I like to say
history is my hobby and writing is my passion, but depending on the day those
two things could switch.
I almost (as in need 4 more credit hours)
have a Master’s in Education for the secondary level. For now I am holding off on completion as I
am looking at a different school and I am sure many of my credits will not
transfer (because isn’t that the way it goes sometimes).
I
am a certified teacher with endorsements in history and reading and have
actually taught in the classroom for several years. I teach at the high school level mainly 9-12
but sometimes I get an 8th grade class. I love teaching almost as much as I love
writing. And I love when I can encourage
my students to read about history.
Thus
the main reason I write historical fiction.
I
have been “writing” for as long as I can remember. My first “published work” happened in the
third grade. This was a work of fiction
as well and only about 300 words. Still
it spent a month posted to the windows of the school office for anyone who passed
by to read. I think this is when I was
“hooked”. I wrote a short fiction novel
in 11th grade it was “published” in a school (class) anthology and
about 50 copies were printed and sold.
I
left writing behind for a 12 year tour of duty in the US Army. Although I did get tagged most often to write
speeches and presentations for the command it wasn’t the same thing. Just before I ETS’d I picked up a spiral
notebook and a few pens and wrote my first full length fiction novel.
Not
knowing what to do next I set it aside and wrote another and then another until
one day my very tolerate and supportive husband said why don’t you try and
publish those things? REALLY???? Well
how to do this I wonder?
I
found out. About a hundred writing
conferences, submission pitches to agents and editors, hundreds spent in
mailing in requested manuscript submission, and just dozen of rejection letters
later I managed to get one script through the trying process all the way to
“committee”. THEN the line the submission
was for closed.
This
was highly discouraging and I set aside writing again for several years. Then a friend suggested e-publishing and I
fell down laughing. Yes, I did. My computer is really nothing more to me than
a glorified typewriter (which I would STILL be using if I could find
ribbon). But, well this is the 21st
century and even if I don’t really know what a kindle is or how a tablet works
there are clearly quite a few people who do know and I thought perhaps, just
perhaps, those people might like a good “book” to read while they do all the
things they can do with such technology.
And
so here I am putting the fruits of my labor, created with both love and
passion, on the World Wide Web. And
while my yellow Remington manual typewriter may be doomed to the fate of a dust
covered conversational piece I am so very pleased to now have the opportunity
to share my love and passion with the public, with you.
I
hope you enjoy my writing, the books and the blogs. I hope you find the information I give you
both on historical facts as well on writing and publishing tips to be useful
and inspirational and in the end I hope you read more. That you encourage others to read more and
that reading for pleasure never becomes a foot note in the annuals of history.
Again
enjoy and READ ON!
