All stories have a beginning. . .
The date was July 24, 1999. I logged onto my AOL account to check my email and after the dial-up noise ceased (yeah, I know…so 20th century), the question “Have you ever thought of being a freelance writer?” popped onto my Welcome Screen. I curiously read the job posting that followed and decided to send in my application and two writing samples. After all, what did I have to lose? Two weeks later, I received a call from a Los Angeles-based editor offering me a position with AOL’s Digital City site. Little did I know at the time that this one decision would have such a lasting effect on my life. I have been a full-time freelance writer ever since!
As freelancer, you kind of have to be a “Jill of all Trades” if you want to make a living. That may sound overwhelming to some, but for me, as the kind of person who loves learning and exploring in just about every subject, it is a dream come true! For more than two decades, I have had the great opportunity of working with clients in all kinds of industries including travel, education, health, real estate, medical, dental, the arts, and business. I have created content for websites, blogs, email campaigns, and other online materials. In addition, I have written dozens of magazine articles for professional publications as well as more than 100 nonfiction books for the juvenile market. I have contributed to state, district, and college-level assessments in all grade levels and subject areas. And, I have even delved into magazine ghost writing as well. Over the years I have honed my research skills and consider this to be one of my strengths and passions. I love gathering unusual facts and trivia, checking them out for their validity, and then filling volumes of writer’s notebooks with these ideas to explore for later projects.
Prior to my writing career, I worked as a teacher at a private school for at-risk youth as a teacher and tutor in all subjects in grades 5-12. And prior to that, I was a student at Brigham Young University majoring in education and working as a student employee at the university library’s Special Collections Department. I’m proud to say that before I wrote my own books, I spent nearly four years retrieving and shelving tomes from the 1400s and oohing and ahhing over masterfully penned illuminated manuscripts. ‘Twas definitely a magical time!
Thanks for checking out my website. From the home page, you can navigate through a tiny sampling of my published works. This is a work-in-progress and more design and content changes are in the works, so stay tuned!
Please feel free to reach out—let’s collaborate on any of your upcoming writing, editing, or content creation needs!