I was a child that spoke very little, so when I entered school, I had difficulty with verbal communication. The teacher discovered however, that I was a quick study with spelling and words. The first time she read the class poetry, I was captivated. I loved the way the rhymes ended each line, as though they were partners. The sound in my mind was like music & beats came naturally to me in a singsong that excited my senses. By twelve, I was writing poetry daily to hear the magic of the sounds. When I was small, I would also write plays to perform when my cousins visited & also for family events. We would choose parts & perform the scenes outside for fun. Later I enjoyed short stories. Now I am interested in poetry, prose, stories, and most recently, novels, in an effort to extend myself & to see what I have to say. I try to lace my work with a sense of hopefulness and joy. Although, there are sad moments in much of my writing, there is usually a lesson or a glimmer of hope toward better times. My work depicts the culture that I grew up in & sometimes the one I wish I could have grown up in. Either way, I try to deal honestly with what I know & what I have witnessed and learned in my own life. In my books, I try to dedicate a poem, a quote, or a thought always toward God. It is, after all, His assistance in my life that has led me toward poetry. Everything that He has created is basically a poem. While some fear or resent the Ten Commandments, I feel that all ten should be observed as decent human behavior. I have not always been able to keep them, but the concept of them is sound & humane. Spiritually, I believe that there is much more good in the world than bad, and that we must all help each other on a path to fulfillment. I try to reflect in my writing. 

Pushcart Prize nomination 2009, Governor's Award Nomination Prize, Pen Women Prize, and Virginia Water Project Award.