I have been steeped in self-development since I became of age. Growing up as a second daughter, it was tough competing with a brilliant older sister. My father taught us that there is no such thing as “can’t.” I learned to persevere, and was sometimes referred to as being stubborn. In the long run, that is what pays off—perseverance--persistence, determination, and hard work. My greatest joy is knowing that somehow I helped someone else to succeed. For example Toastmasters in the District I led to reach President’s Distinguished District #1 in the world said to me, "We didn’t think we could do it, but you believed in us and we did it!” One reader of my book Take Charge of Your Life wrote that it literally saved her life. That gives me a thrill. She was an abused spouse. My first book 101 Ways to Improve Your Communnication Skills Instantly was written to support a speaking career. The 5th Edition is now available in the Kindle store as well as Amazon.com and other bookstores. This book is sold by publishers all over the world who have translated the book into 12 languages, including Arabic, Korean, and Spanish. I chose that topic because I needed to learn more about it. English was a second language for my parents who spoke French. I felt insecure about my ability to communicate effectively and sometimes could not find exactly the right word to express my thoughts. Researching and writing that book with Bennie Bough was a great beginning for me. I have since presented many seminars on effective  communication skills and find it very rewarding. Take Charge of Your Life shares the benefits of my personal journey from vision to victory—from single-again with a part-time job, to supervisor at Army Headquarters in the Pentagon, to business owner and corporate executive. I have presented seminars on this topic in New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, and many other cities. I signed the book for the Barnes and Noble store in Rockefeller Center, New York City. Articles based on the book have been published articles in magazines such as Toastmasters, Real Estate Professional, BizLife Magazine, Biz2Biz, Credit Union Executive Society (online) and a host of others. I have been quoted in Woman's World and featured as Real Simple magazine's "Wise Woman."  I began writing my third book, From Book Signing to Best Seller, by dictating ideas into a digital recorder as I was returning to Los Angeles from a 12-city book signing tour. John B. Slack added his experiences of being on the road. The book was named "Best Writers Reference Guide" by the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association.    

US Department of Commerce Commercial Services Export Achievement Certificate for Accomplishments in the Global Marketplace, 2007 Ford Motor Company and Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce award for Outstanding Business Women, Toastmasters International Presidential Citation in 2005, Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service by Secretary of the Army, Togo West; Board of Directors, Toastmasters International; District Governor, Toastmasters International (#1 ranking District worldwide 1991-1992); Master of Science in Public Administration, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration