Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia during WWII. Have lived most of my life in the US. Hope the two countries never come to blows because I am fiercely loyal to both. Married for 42 years to my husband Jack, who retired in '08 after teaching science for 18 years.  We lost our 31-year-old son Scott on Dec. 1st, 2002 to a drug overdose. He was a Paramedic and an RN.  Compassionate and kind to a fault. We have one remaining child, a son Dale who is finishing his Master's degree in environmental science.  A very kind and caring son who lives near us. Upon the devastating death of my son I found an inner voice that I had not fully realized existed.  I then started writing about drugs and addiction. My third book, my children's book - The Addiction Monster and the Square Cat  - is a fictionalized version of my son's long struggle with drugs and his ultimate death.  This book is consistently on Amazon.com's Best Sellers List in Substance Abuse. It is told with pathos and humor by Pumpkin, the sassy but lovable family cat. I love the written word and endeavor to uphold high standards of English and grammar (not always succeeding). Spellling is my forte'. Math is not! We are passionate about animal welfare and caring for the environment. I believe in Sir Edmund Burke's statement: He who is not actively kind is cruel. My other passion is trying to reach younger children to teach them about addiction, and to let people know that addiction is a recognized brain disease. I am an admirer of Albert Schweitzer's lifelong works.

Gee, I won the typing contest in 10th grade, does that count? My husband and I along with my parents started the first ever humane society in Hoke County, North Carolina where we lived for 12 years. That was an incredible achievement. The only (and most important) award that went with it was the knowledge that we left the place and the animals in better condition than they were when we first moved there.