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My desire to write took root as a child growing up in Bermuda. I loved books and received them as prizes for achieving academic honors in school. I loved to play "librarian" and arrange the books in my bookcase, each with a hand-made library checkout card in a pocket inside the back cover. English and literature became my favorite subjects and after my teacher had one of my essays published in the local newspaper, an aspiration to be a writer took root.
My intentions of going to college took a back seat when I met my first husband at the beginning of my senior year. After I graduated, we married and began to raise a family. I wrote very little while the children were young but when we moved to Louisville, Kentucky, I did a little illustration and copywriting for some church newsletters. Included in this work was a political column called Concerned Christian's Update, in which I summarized the political scene of that day and encouraged involvment. In addition, I wrote and edited a newsletter for a business we owned and operated. During the same period, I studied commercial art and was able to utilize much of what I learned to enhance our business.
Over the years, my spiritual life grew stronger and more important to me and I felt strong desire to use my writing to inspire others. For the first time, I dabbled in writing poetry. It bubbled up from the emotional and spiritual journey I was experiencing. It served as an additional way to journal, which I was doing already, and became a catharsis for my thoughts and emotions. I began to write devotional essays and what might be called self-help or motivational articles.
After attending a conference with American Christian Writers, I became part of a fledgling critique/writer's support group, which we named "Joywriters". Later, after we affiliated with American Christian Writers, the name was changed to Louisville Christian Writers. I was honored to serve for several years as their secretary. With the support of LCW, my writing increased in both quantity and quality. I wrote in a variety of genres and was published in Essence Treasury: Celebrating the Season, Alive! magazine, and Kentucky Monthly Magazine. In 2011, the publication of Benny's Angel, the first offering of my children's series titled God's Secret Garden Adventures, fulfilled my dream to write a book. It will be followed in August 2013 by two more books in the series, Fred D's Amazing Escape and Catie's Secret. My children's poem, "The Treasure", was published in the March 2013 issue of Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr. (R)
I remain a member-at-large of Louisville Christian Writers in Louisville, Kentucky, and am an active member of Gulf Coast Writers Association in Fort Myers, Florida. I am grateful to my writers support groups, various writing workshops and conferences, and participation in Christian Writers Guild for helping me hone and improve my writing skills.
In addition to writing, I enjoy drawing and painting. Three limited edition prints have been produced from my watercolors and my original pencil and charcoal drawing titled "Old Timer" received a first-place award, portrait division, at the 2006 Kentucky State Fair. During the 2011 Emerging Artist Art Show in Fort Myers, Florida, I was honored to receive the first-place award for my photograph of a monarch butterfly, titled "Savoring the Sweetness".
I am extremely blessed to be married to Paul Nonemaker, a retired airline pilot, and between us we have five children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. When I am not writing, I enjoy helping with various forms of ministry at our church. I also enjoy gardening, raising butterflies, sewing, and boating with Paul.
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