I'm a former RN, mom, wildlife rehabilitator, guitar teacher, racehorse rescuer and re-trainer, humane investigator, wildlife habitat educator and creator, and minimalist . My primary concerns are for the oppressed, the grieving, victims of domestic violence and also environmental degradation. Major influences:  Jesus, Albert Schweitzer, Gandhi, Henry David Thoreau, Alice Walker, O. Henry and musicians mostly of the contemporary Christian kind (including Christian metal and Christian rap) The music of Rick Elias, Rich Mullins, Third Day, Bob Dylan, Amy Grant and Jimmy Buffett (yes I'm a parrot-head!) are my all-time favs. Angels in the Landfill (Mixed Blessings and Saving Graces) is a collection of short stories born out of the murder of my daughter 8 yrs ago. She was 21 years old and killed by her fiance.' I dont have a lot of faith in earthly justice, but I believe when we meet our Maker, we are then held accountable for the horrors we've visited upon others.  Some stories/essays in Angels, have been previously published in glossies such as HorsePlay, Skirt!, and Southern Anglers, as well as online, but most are new and grew from my struggle to survive when this broken world ripped my heart out, ie my child's death.  Some articles are contemplative and meditative, but many are joyful and jovial memories of the past, and hopes for the future.  It's BISAC code is 'healing/spiritual' but its been called a memoir, collection, religious, self-help, grief, etc ad nauseum. I like to think it's healing in that it offers laughter an HOPE that tomorrow holds possibilities we can only dream of today. I'm an Episcopalian, but often i find that God speaks loudest to me in the burbling creeks, the gold finches' serenades, the redbuds' colors splashed throughout the forest and the hummingbirds that feed on the bee balm and lantana in 'my' yard. I live a minimalist, fairly isolated life in the SC woods near a creek, with my 2 dogs: Timothy Pavlov (an 80# doberman who will lick you to death) and my daughter's poodle mix, Nadine, my snugglebunny.  But i love all sorts of animals, even the wild kind!

I'm a retired ICU and Maternal-Fetal ICU RNC ('C' for certification in inpatient OB) and was night shift manager for years. Received numerous awards for participating in health fairs, shelter volunteering and rape counseling.
Am a retired certified wildlife rehabber (specializing in birds) and now-unofficial humane investigator and 'foster mom' for abandoned dogs. I used to have a horse farm, where I took TB horses off that track that were fated to be a dinner-plate delicacy, and re-trained them into hunter-jumpers, eventers, trail horses, etc. I've also done some SAR and guard training of dogs.
I used to write a regular column for the Lowcountry Weekly - informal and funny 'stuff' about life in general, in SC.
I've won several literary contests and have a wonderful endorsement of my book by Tim Perry, the author of Blessed Is She; Living Lent with Mary (Morehouse Press/Continuum).