My insatiable curiosity about people and culture developed at an early age and was likely the result of my experiences living in England, Denmark and Canada and travels through Europe. There is nothing like playing among the columns of a Bronze Age palace surrounded by the sapphire waters of the Mediterranean to pique an eight year old’s interest and imagination. I focused my University studies in Classical Archeology and Literature, Physical Anthropology, Social Work and Criminology. For those of you questioning my use of the word “focused” …well, you’ll just have to trust me when I say that I couldn’t file my interests down to any sharper a point. I tried. The yearly course lists crammed with intriguing possibilities made me feel like a kid in a candy store – one of those really big stores with colorful jars lining the walls from floor to ceiling. My career path has continued in the same vein. I was my grandmother’s caregiver for two years; an opportunity for which I am ever grateful as spending that time with such a remarkable woman shaped me in ways I am still discovering. Among other things, I’ve been a vet assistant, worked at a halfway house for high-risk offenders, sat on many kids as a mascot, been the operations manager for a private investigation firm, and spent several months in Ontario with the Red Cross helping refugees from Kosovo acclimatize to Canada. I’ve also volunteered within maximum-security prisons and the community to help transition people serving life sentences to life outside the regimented bubble of prison. Why I Write Simply put – I write to explore, express and connect. I delve into the fascinating web of relationships linking humans, animals and the environment. I peer into peoples’ inner worlds and explore the inherent violence and compassion bound together in the human spirit. My guiding principle is that the human mosaic is beautiful because of the unique nature of each piece and I celebrate this diversity in my work.