I first took an interest in writing when I was a senior in high school, and my English teacher told me that I had some ability. After writing several short stories and failing to sell any of them, I turned to nonfiction. My maternal grandparents, who had lived through two world wars and the Great Depression, sparked my interest in history. My grandmother was an especially gifted storyteller. I began writing short articles on local and regional history, and eventually broadened the scope of my topics. While working fulltime as a muni more...
