I am a first grade teacher who enjoys every challenging day inside my classroom. I am also a wife, mother, and a grandmother. I love the mountains of Kentucky where I was raised, my heritage, my roots! My book of short stories and poetry about growing up in the hills of southeastern Kentucky titled "Kentucky...The Mountains I Call Home"  is  available on most online book stores . I have enjoyed marketing my book, meeting new people, and reuniting with old friends on my journey across the great state of Kentucky. I enjoy writing poetry, short stories, and I love to write children's stories for my students. I love to tell stories and use them inside my classroom, stories of my youth, fables, and sometimes my own twist on fairytales. I also love to sketch and draw...Other than writing I love to read and spend time on our farm, working in our vegetable garden, flower gardens, and loving nature. We have Boer goats on our farm which are very loving animals as well as beautiful. I enjoy crocheting and making gifts for my family, and I enjoy receiving handmade gifts as well. As you can see I am a person of many interests. My children's book A Path of Stitches will be available very soon. I am excited about this project as the story is based on my own childhood, love of quilts and storytelling. I am also very proud to have the honor of working with a new artist who illustrated my book. Richard Sester is a friend, co-worker and the father of one of my students. He is an exceptional artist with much talent to share with the world. I will let everyone know as soon as the book is available. I also have a second book about people in the mountains of Kentucky Faces In The Mountains that is very near completion as well! I am anxious for the release of both!    

I have a bachelor of science degree, a master of arts in education, a degree in educational leadership, and am currently working on a degree in special education as well as my PHD in education. I am a member of the Iota Sigma Nu and Phi Beta Capa Honor Societies. I am recognized in both the 2002 and 2004 National Deans Book. I recently won a writing competition "Rushton Writing Competition" at a local college with my short story "A Perfect Ending" I have had two poems published and two short stories in an educational magazine. I recently had an article published in the Great Schools Newsletter. I was named Poet of the year by Famous Poets Society in 1999 and again in 2002. I recieved Editor's Choice Award in 2004 from poetry.com for my poem...It Could Be Me. I have also written three books for my students, one entitled "The Land of The Midnight Sun" and a folk tale about how the skunk got it's stripe entitled "Suzie's Stripe" the third is called Werfle Land, it is a princess type fairytale that combines characters from various stories into one. I have also helped a dear friend edit his book "Waking From Newton's Sleep" it is a text book that will be used in college education classes explaining the diverse methods of teaching elementary students. I recently conducted and taught a professional development training about the art of storytelling within the primary classroom. It was my first and hopefully not my last. I also love attending, listening too and telling stories at storytelling gatherings. My favorite story that I tell was a story given to me by my grandmother, Be Careful What You Wish For. I have found this story to be very true on more than one occasion. In April of 2007 I was voted Poet of the Month on the Poets Nest website with my poem "Forgotten Flowers"