First, thank you so much for stopping by. Welcome to my little corner of the digital world.
I’m an optimistic person, and I write optimistic, hopeful fiction. If you like gritty stories where the protagonist has to morph and change and move on from whatever is holding him or her back, then you’ve come to the right place. My writing has won awards in the categories of inspirational fiction, contemporary fiction, and women’s fiction. I’m eager to share my stories with readers who yearn to feel a sense of HOPE. I’m here for you and happy to be so.
I’ve been running my blog since 2011 when I completed my MFA in Creative Writing and began to publish my work. So far, I have nine fictional novels under my belt am a co-author of one academic textbook that I worked on with two of my dear friends and colleagues.
My newest book is called The Ones Closest To You, a work of historical fiction that features family drama, secrets, and surprising friendships. Set in New York City in the late 1950s, just as the Brooklyn Dodgers were about to leave New York and move to Los Angeles, the main protagonist, Veronica DeMarco, is a feature writer at The News, and she is assigned a story about a famous mafia dame, Rosa Manetti. While investigating her story, she uncovers secrets of her own and realizes that she and Rosa may not be too dissimilar.
The Letters in the Books, released in Summer of 2022, earned a BRONZE MEDAL for INSPIRATIONAL FICTION in the annual Readers’ Favorite Contest. This is the third award I’ve won from Readers’ Favorite—I am thrilled! The story is about an empath who owns a bookstore in Annapolis and the ways she lifts people up by slipping inspirational letters inside the books of those in need of a pick-me-up. Her letters also have the power to change lives. Told from the perspectives of the five main characters (three women, two men), the novel is meant to remind us all of what a little kindness can do. The story begins a few weeks before Christmas and ends the following year at Christmas.
From Humbug to Humble: The Transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge, is a continuation of Ebenezer Scrooge’s story written by Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol is my favorite book of all time, and in this novella, I explore what happens to Scrooge after he changes his ways and becomes a good human being. I’m thrilled that my former student, Adrianna Kamosa Murphy, partnered with me to draw beautiful illustrations for the novel. We both love how it turned out.
Also in 2021, I published another novella called Anna in Tuscany, a story of a woman who moves to Italy as a travel writer and happens upon a romantic love story for Valentine’s Day. Other books include Inn Significant (2017), a story of love, loss, and recovery set on Maryland’s Eastern Shore; Beneath the Mimosa Tree (2012), my first novel, which is set in my hometown of Annapolis and is centered around the theme of forgiveness; and Baseball Girl (2015), a women’s fiction story loosely based on my life working in professional baseball. Little Milestones (2019), is a follow-up to Inn Significant, and is set in the beautiful Eastern Shore town of St. Michaels, Maryland. The Postcard and Other Stories & Poetry, which earned a Finalist Award in the annual 2019 National Indie Excellence Awards, is a collection of short stories and poetry.
My career in education at Stevenson University, began when my children were little and I started teaching as an adjunct instructor. When I became a full time professor in 2008, I went back to school and earned the MFA in Creative Writing from National University in San Diego. For years, I taught a variety of writing courses including feature writing, magazine writing, public relations writing, and travel writing. I also taught courses in advertising, sports communication, professional communication, and interpersonal communication. During that time, my colleagues, Leeanne Bell McManus, Chip Rouse, and I published a textbook entitled Event Planning & Management: Communicating Theory and Practice, published by Kendall-Hunt. This textbook takes a look at the “why” behind event planning and attaches communication theory to it, in addition to offering practical help regarding all aspects of event planning. We are on our third edition.
In May 2022, I decided to step back from full-time teaching to pursue other interests, so I am now an adjunct professor teaching graduate courses in our Masters in Communication program online through Stevenson University Online. This offers me more time to write, market my books, and volunteer in my community and church.
April 2022.
While an undergraduate at Towson University, I got a job working for the Baltimore Orioles in public relations. After college, I stayed with the ballclub for 13 years and was the assistant director of community relations and then director of publishing. Helping to plan the move from Memorial Stadium to Camden Yards was a thrill; afterwards, helping to plan the 1993 All-Star Game, Cal Ripken’s 2131 Celebration, and the events surrounding the back-to-back playoff years in 1996 and 1997, were some of the highlights of my career working in the sport. My work as editor of the Cal Ripken Commemorative Publication, which celebrated Ripken’s tying and breaking of Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak record, was the pinnacle of my career in baseball.
We live in Severna Park, Maryland, a community outside Annapolis. We have a son who works in Washington, D.C., and our daughter works in Towson. My husband is the Senior VP of Corporate Partnerships for the Mubadala DC Open (a great tennis tournament, if you haven’t been)! In our free time, you can find us on our little powerboat on the Severn River, or seeking out every waterfront restaurant we can find in our area.
I’m glad you’ve stopped by for a visit, and I look forward to seeing more of you!
Awards for My Novels
THE LETTERS IN THE BOOKS earned a Bronze Medal in the annual Readers’ Favorite contest for Inspirational Fiction, 2023.
THE POSTCARD AND OTHER SHORT STORIES & POETRY earned a Finalist Award in the 2019 National Indie Excellence Awards for Short Stories.
INN SIGNIFICANT earned a Finalist Award in the 2017 National Indie Excellence Awards for Women’s Fiction.
BASEBALL GIRL earned an Honorable Mention Award in the Annual Readers’ Favorite Awards Contest for 2015 for Sports Fiction.
BENEATH THE MIMOSA TREE earned a Bronze medal in the Annual Readers’ Favorite Awards Contest for 2012, tops in its category for Contemporary Romance. It also received a 2013 National Indie Excellence Award as a Finalist for Romance.
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