I'm a "desert rat" who grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. At age six, I chose teaching as a career because I idolized my first grade teacher. In the 8th grade I won a smile contest. I've never stopped smiling. After graduation from Arizona State University with a BA in Elementary Education, I taught kindergarten through third grade in the desert locales of Phoenix, Saudi Arabia, and Tucson. 

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I've traveled in 19 countries, lived in 20 homes in 5 states (AZ, CA, NM, NY, WI), and now live in Sun City West, AZ. A kid at heart, I collect giraffes and love to stay up late and sleep late, laugh, read, play Words with Friends, and savor red wine and dark chocolate. 

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Since beginning my new career as a children's author, I've written stories and poems for children of all ages--everything from board books to novels. My stories, articles, and poems have appeared in Highlights for Children, Highlights High Five, Pockets, and My Friend among others. 

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My writing has won numerous awards (Click publishing credits for details). I’m especially proud to have received the 2016 Judy Goddard/Libraries Ltd. Arizona Children’s Author beautiful storyteller award.

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