Some people are writers by chance, some by circumstance, and some by necessity. I am a writer by birth. My history is similar to that of many innate writers – I've been scribbling stories, essays, poetry and journal entries ever since I was able. For me, writing is instinctive, a drive to which I must surrender. Playing with word combos, expressing myself on paper and working on my craft has always been so much a part of my life , sometimes I can't believe I get paid to do it. Do I consider myself an artist? Absolutely. Writing is my art and my passion.

When I'm not in my office, I am usually spending time with my four kids or trying to keep up with the endless piles of laundry that are forever threatening to take over my house. I am blessed to be able to work from home with a schedule that allows me plenty of family time. We love to go boating, camping and swimming at the lake, plus we're all bookworms and game mavens (even if it's just Candyland). I also enjoy going out with my friends, gardening, and traveling.

Some lesser-known facts about me:

I have a bachelor's degree in English with an emphasis in writing and a minor in history from Northern State University.

I am nuts about hard rock. The louder, the better. Three Days Grace, Saliva, Breaking Benjamin, 12 Stones, Seether, Hurt, 10 Years . . . bring 'em on. In the right mood, I also enjoy bands such as Switchfoot, Lifehouse, Collective Soul, Muse, Angels & Airwaves and Evanescence, and occasionally some classical here and there.

Even though I used to be pretty sure that I was incapable of keeping anything green alive for more than a week, I had a garden last year that actually flourished. Now I count gardening as one of my hobbies.

I love to dance and I (sort of) play piano.

Halfway through my first pregnancy, I nearly fell off of the ultrasound table when I found out that there were two babies in there.

I can't live without my morning cup of  coffee, lots of sunshine, seafood, excellent wine, music and cookies (or any baked good).


Check out my blog!
Parenting By Trial and Error - real talk about parenting, discussions, advice, giveaways and more

You can also find me at:

Larger Families - dedicated to parents raising the modern larger family

A Few of My Favorite Links: 

Vinobite - wine deals, simple food, culture, travel and FREE STUFF in a bite-size email

Momma Said - the stay-at-home mom's coffee break

The Renegade Writer - blog by the authors of The Renegade Writer; contains great resources for freelance writers

Pandora - totally customizable internet radio; just enter your favorite song or artist and it will create a radio station that plays songs with similar sounds