Reading has been my refuge and outlet since I was a young child. Both of my parents fought cancer throughout my adolescence and escaping into books allowed me to borrow joy when times were dark. Beginning with The Hobbit, The Eye of the World, and Dragons of Autumn Twilight, my love of stories and words deepened and became a passion that now influences every aspect of my life.
When I entered college to study Industrial Design at Georgia Tech, my heart wasn't in it. I remember sitting across from my mother at a restaurant and, upon seeing the slump in my shoulders, she asked, "What's wrong? I can tell that something is wrong."
"I don't think I want to be a designer," I answered.
"Then what do you want to do?"
I hesitated, afraid to voice the longing that had taken hold of me since I first stepped into the wider world. Finally, I said, "I want to write."
She didn't laugh. She looked at me with confidence. "Then go be a writer."
So I transferred to Emory University and entered their English & Creative Writing program. After the first day, I knew I had made the right decision. In my senior year, I had the honor and fortune of having professor and science fiction author Jim Grimsley as my mentor in an independent study focused on religious fantasy. The discipline, methods, and knowledge of the field gained under his tutelage honed my skills and confirmed my affinity for fantasy writing.
After graduating, I became a published Technical Writer for several major software companies. While paying the bills, I struggled to find the energy to write creatively. Then, a few months after my mother succumbed to her battle with cancer, I sat down and felt a story forming in my heart: a story about a young woman, full of untapped power, faced with terrible hardships—and rising to meet the challenge.
When my first child was born, I discovered that finding the time and energy to write became even harder to come by. So, after five years in the Technical Writing field, I "retired" to focus on motherhood and fantasy writing. Uncountable drafts and another baby later, the first two volumes of The Silverstone Saga are complete and ready for agent representation. Work on the third installment is currently underway.