Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, I've been writing one thing or another since childhood. I wrote my first romantic story in elementary school, in pencil on lined paper. The heroine got a kiss as the happy ending. I still have diaries from my school days, one of which inspired I.O.U. SEX, my first book co-written with Sandra Allen.  Besides Dallas, I've lived in Irving and Beaumont, Texas; Miami, Florida; and now Washington State. I love to travel and keep journals (written and photographic) of each trip. Most exciting and memorable place I've been? I walked from Leon to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, with my daughter-in-law and her mother. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience I'll treasure always. When not writing, I like to make quilts, sew, garden, take photos, lunch with friends, do crafty things with my glue gun, and (like Granny in BLUEBONNETS FOR ELLY) spend as much time as possible with my granddaughter.