Welcome!

Thanks for visiting my website. I'm so excited to share my writing with you! My plan is to use this space to discuss books I've read recently, excerpts from my WIP, and share the joys and sorrows of my publishing journey. 

So, who am I and why should you care? I'm a 30-something woman who is married and raising a teen daughter while working full time in a government job. My career has mostly focused on the legal field, and for a hot minute, I debated going to law school. However, after years of assisting attorneys defending cases against poorly written or implemented laws, I decided I wanted to come in at the beginning. I obtained a master's degree in public administration and policy from American University and was the first graduate from their online program to become a Presidential Management Fellow. After completing the two year fellowship, I couldn't help thinking: now what? I had the career I wanted, a great salary, and a wonderful family, but still, something was missing. 

When I was younger, I had dreamed of being a writer. As I noted in the "about" section, my mother had made me promise to write her one "kissing" book. While what she was seeking was a romance bodice ripper, I had developed a love of Hallmark movies during grad school. There was something relaxing and calming about their predictable plot lines and happy endings. It was like Disney fairy tales for adults. I needed that after spending long days running an office and then writing papers for school. 

I decided to delve back into writing again. I started writing a novel at the end of 2019, but found myself struggling to get past the first three chapters. So, I signed up for a fiction writing class at my local community college in hopes of starting from scratch. I wrote several short stories (which you can find on my "Work" page) and completed the assigned writing exercises, all of which gave me several samples for grad school applications. In the summer of 2020, I applied to three schools and was accepted to all of them, but ultimately I chose to pursue my MFA at Queens University of Charlotte. Their program had the flexibility I needed with my job, and it felt like the best fit.

Through that program, I was able to finish my first manuscript (well, technically third. I wrote two novels in middle/high school, but I have no idea where they are now). I'm working on revising that, with the help of tutorial instructors through my program. Currently, I'm working on a second manuscript which I hope to complete by the end of this year, if not sooner. 

My goal is to update this blog a few times a week. In addition to writing, I'm an avid baker, so I may include recipes I've found or photos of sweet treats I've made my family. But mostly I want to share my writing and my experiences in trying to pitch my debut novel. I hope you will visit often and join me on this journey!