I’ve held a variety of titles, but the best one is Gatherer – of people and of stories.

Having worked here and there as a writer and editor since high school, I’ve settled in to a role of bridging and resourcing – these days, for my own family, clients at our local running store, and whoever crosses my path that could use encouragement.

A few things have defined my life as a 40-something adult:

· Moving from Chicago Heights, Illinois, where I was born and lived for 34 years, to Surfside Beach, South Carolina. It took me some time to find my place, and now it’s hard to imagine a different one. I love the small town feeling, the community, and the miles of beach.

· I am a mom of all seasons. When I married my husband, his children were nine and 11. We went on to have three children together, and two more who were born to heaven. We also have a granddaughter the same age as our youngest son. So my mothering experience, while compressed into 19ish years, sometimes feels as ancient as the trees, and I love to talk with other mamas in the various and glorious trenches.

· Those two miscarriages, one before and one after the birth of our little boy, shook my life, my faith, and my perspective. A major turning point in my healing was found in exercise. It began in my bedroom with a Beachbody On Demand subscription. It culminated at a running store here in Myrtle Beach, where I am now happily employed as a store manager, race director, and occasional running coach. Oh yeah, and I run a lot and love it. I have two marathons in the books, but I enjoy half marathons and 10Ks much more!

And here I am. Here, where I love the spending time at the beach, Gen-X pop culture, cooking, running, reading, and being the number 1 fan for my husband’s southern rock band. It all comes down to a love of being with my people, which includes my husband Rod, our kids, our parents, our pups, and our “framily.”

While my fiction is not overtly Christian, I am a Jesus girl who is continually honing my understanding and application of a grace-driven, Holy-Spirit-led life – and all my writing is colored with that perspective. It makes all the difference. I love to take those experiences and lessons and turn them into smile-inducing, heart-lifting words.