Autumn 1940. Germany invades Britain. Newport is blitzed. Danny O’Shea’s house is bombed, his wife is killed. While taking his young son Adam to neutral Ireland, they witness an attack on a German convoy. The result is brutal.
To call my background eclectic is an understatement. From the hills of Appalachia to the orchestra of an opera, in addition to amassing several college degrees, I've worked as a microbiology lab technician, a veterinary technician, a dental assistant, and an over-the-road tractor-trailer driver.
A native West Virginian, I've lived in the Charleston area for the past twenty years, having moved to the capital city to pursue a career as a professional musician and university music instructor. From 1986 to 1989, I was the classical music critic for the Charleston Gazette.
Since 1990, after receiving my Master of Science degree and making a career shift, I've been an environmental geologist in hydrologic and groundwater protection for mining.
A childhood experience with a band of Gypsies established a life-long fascination with the Roma that is manifest in much of the fiction I write, as is an obsession with pirates and the romance of the tall ships that is almost as long-standing.
For many years I was an avid hiker/backpacker; I owned horses and tried (and failed) at subsistence farming, but became fairly good at archery - hunter style, of course. This attraction to nature and the outdoors led to the degrees in biology, geology, and environmental science.
I'm the mother of a son and a stepson, and have a grandson and two granddaughters. I make my home with two cats, Baby Tah Tab and Stripey Sterling, on a hill overlooking the city where I teach music in my private studio.
I'm currently working on my next novel.
Accomplishments
Fifteen-Year Service Certificate, State of West Virginia, Department of Environmental Protection, 05/16/07.
Certificate of Appreciation—Office of the Governor, State of West Virginia; “…for excellence in achieving outstanding quality results as a member of the Civil Penalties Assessment Task Force;” 05/10/96.
Chi Beta Phi Science Honorary, 1987, lifetime member.
First Place, Impromptu Speaking, Intercollegiate Forensics competition, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 1969.
Monitoring Well Driller Certification, West Virginia, Certificate WV00058, expires 03/17/08
Appalachian Geological Society, 05/00
Hazardous Waste Certification, 10/99
Professional Teaching Certificate: Biology, grades 7-12, General Science, Grades 7-9; Expired
Emergency Medical Technician Certification 08/79, Expired
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