I am here because I believe in the power and necessity of patchwork families. I believe that while nuclear family circumstances are often difficult, no one needs to be alone. We can be sisters and brothers, different patches from different sources, sewn together in love.

I believe love is the sacred ground where tender hearts are cherished as sources of power, and not belittled as some babyish nuisance.

Thus, I hope to nurture your heart by sharing mine: my family, my published books, and my projects, both of the writing sort and the crafting variety.

To me, words give voice to my life; they are rain that washes away the day's pollution, and the art form that conveys what it means to be human. So, I write with the dream of bringing hope to others, whether through one of my quirky-character-laden cozy mysteries or through musings on the eternal symbolism found all around. (For example, birds begin to sing before they see the sun rise. Think about that for a minute!)

A few of my favorite things include: loving Jesus, dark chocolate from Trader Joe's, Scandinavian folk art, crafting, lemonade on hot days, hot chocolate and biscotti on cold ones, reading aloud to my children, reading silently to myself, running, going on walks, baking on misty days, and going on Costco runs with my husband while he updates me on the world of USC sports.

If loving who matters most is your kind of adventure, then I am your kind of gal.