For as long as I can remember, I've always loved reading and had a book in my hands. I began writing in grade school, crafting dialogue for cartoons drawn by my older brother. I took the first step of fulfilling my dream to be an author when  one of my college professors encouraged me to submit an article for an academic journal. The piece was published and I've been writing to inspire others ever since.

Influences:  My mother, who fed my reading passion, including borrowing money to buy books for me, and my third-grade teacher, “Miz” Wilson. She spanked me in front of the entire class for failing to insert a comma behind the close of a letter. She might have ruined me. I read a book by a well-known author and found the missing period out of 265 pages. Perfectionist  tendencies be gone!

Writing Habits: I begin with prayer, asking God to remove the pressure of publishing and to focus on Him.

Best Writing Advice: Leonard Bishop, author of Dare to be a Great Writer, 329 Keys to Powerful Fiction, read 20 pages of my work. He provided five pages, single spaced, of what I’d done wrong. Feeling like a failure, I wrote back, saying I was taking a break from writing to “think about my characters.”  His response was tough, but I’ve kept this now-yellow, dog-eared letter because of its invaluable advice for aspiring authors. "Stop stewing in the juices of despair and doubt and depression. Just get on your rump and write."  

Favorite quote: "There's no story like an untold story inside you." - Zora Neale Hurston