As a kid…

I loved to draw. I was the class artist—the go-to gal when pictures were needed for class projects. “She’s going to be an artist when she grows up,” people said. I thought they might be right.

As a college student…

I majored in art—or tried to, anyway. But one of my professors didn’t think much of my talent and made sure I knew it. So, I became a teacher.

As a teacher…

I decided to open doors for students, rather than close them…to nurture their dreams and talents the best I could. What I discovered is that teaching is in itself an art, an art through three-dimensional design with real people.

And I learned…

That being an artist is so much more than drawing pictures. They were right when I was a kid—I did become an artist when I grew up. But now I do it with words.

My background…

I spent my childhood on Galveston Island, where Jean Lafitte, the notorious pirate, once lived. Tales of his escapades during the early 1800s fired my imagination and set the stage for writing children’s picture books. After graduating from college with a degree in elementary education, I accepted a job teaching on an army base in Hawaii and later at a school on a pineapple plantation. Eventually, I moved to New England, where I received my Ph.D., taught college courses, and served as an academic dean. My short story, “Marion P. Shadd, Freeborn Child of the American Civil War,” won a contest sponsored by Lee and Low Books when I first began writing, and the company published it online. More recently, Cape Ann’s public libraries in Massachusetts published my picture book, The Tree in Dock Square, after winning first place in their regional contest.

My Facebook Page