I'm a writer based in Bend, Oregon, a hang-onto-your-hat mountain town where people talk more about what they do for fun than what they do for work. 

I mostly write about the things I love most: family bonds, exploring this beautiful planet, and forgotten stories of unlikely adventurers and quiet revolutionaries.

The past several years I've been diving into research for my first novel: a historical fiction based on the journey of a mother-daughter duo adventuring through the American West just before WW1.

I couldn't be more thrilled to share that my book will be published by Cynren Press, and landing in bookstores in May 2028.

To stay updated on publishing progress,
and read the stories behind the story,
 find me on Substack at Free Range Field Notes.

What happens when a friend stops by with her great-grandmother's journal, and says "somebody needs to tell her story"? For me, that led to four-year dive into writing an historical novel about two adventurous women traveling west around the turn of the century (the 1900s, not the Y2K century). Along the way, I learned more than history-- more like a DIY MFA in story arcs, world building, scene structure, and channeling internal struggles. Now that the manuscript is written, I'm focused on the publishing process to get this epic tale out into the world.

I don't think of myself as a collector, but the window sill behind my desk tells another story. 

There's the drawing-man posed in amazing dance moves. The coppery milagro heart, for when I could use a miracle. A shaman's truth-teller from the Congo. A painted rock, a chessboard queen, binoculars to spy on the flicker in the pines. It's a wonder I get anything written at all, but it's also how I get my mind unstuck when writing. 

A sampling of my stories and freelance writing pieces can be found at the link below.

This beautiful planet is full of surprises: pearls in oysters, tiny treasures, moments that stay with a person forever. I keep trying to capture that magic in paint. These paintings come from traveling, and every image has a little story. Very soon any of these will be available as notecards, journals, or small prints.