Growing up a Pennsylvania Yankee with a history-buff father, I don't remember a time when I wasn't enthralled by America's history. In fact, I've been told that when I was very little I thought that every cemetery we drove by was a Civil War battlefield.
My introduction to history and storytelling came from my father. Whenever we had to drive somewhere long enough to get us kids bored, my father kept us entertained by telling stories. His settings were usually American, but now and then we'd learn of some far-off country, too. Time period? Anything from Ancient history through the present day. He kept us waiting for the climax of the story with baited breath...and quiet while he drove.
The favorite destination for these travels was Virginia. What more could a history-buff family ask for? Any vacation with a stop in Colonial Williamsburg kept us all happy, especially my mother. Then we'd move to the beaches or the Blue Ridge mountains, depending on our mood. In between lie some of the most famous Civil War battlefields you'll ever find--Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Petersburg, the Wilderness.
The result of all these vacations to Virginia was that, despite being a born and bred Yankee girl, I grew up loving Southern cooking. Virginia ham, yes I actually liked all that salt back then; grits; spoon bread; biscuits with sausage gravy. It's certainly helped give me an appreciation for the Southern heroes and heroines I write about.
Five years at Michigan State University gave me a bachelor's degree in History, half an M.B.A., and the one degree I hadn't planned on getting--an MRS. My husband and I moved to Massachusetts where I worked as a market research analyst for a few years. Then I finally realized that my heart wasn't in the business world, and I went to the University of Massachusetts--Amherst for a Master's in History. I studied the Civil War with Dr. Stephen Oates, author of over twenty great books on our country's history. I also got an article published in the Historical Journal of Massachusetts and received my first piece of fan mail. I was hooked on sharing my understanding of history through writing.
The idea to write fiction came after my husband and I read a boring fantasy book by an award-winning author. I knew I could write a better book than that. My first efforts were towards historical mysteries, and I'm still waiting to get one of them published. Then, I decided to try writing a romance, just for the challenge. I enjoyed it. It was a challenge. And it's called My Rebel Belle.
In between writing novels, I still work on research for history projects. My current interest is in the United States Christian Commission during the Civil War.
My husband and I are back in Michigan now. We live in a Saltbox-style house on five acres. In addition to a few human neighbors, we frequently spot our animal neighbors--deer, coyotes, sandhill cranes, and more songbirds than we can identify. My faithful writing companions are two Golden Retrievers, Frodo and Abby.