Biography

I find it challenging to write a personal bio because my life seems rather boring when compared to the adventurous lives of my characters. Yet, Henry David Thoreau once said, “Wherever men have lived there is a story to be told.” As a writer and history buff, this quote is one of my favorites. Nothing was ever more true. So, no matter how mundane it might seem to me, here is a little bit of my life that you might find interesting.

I was born and raised on a farm and a ranch in southeastern Idaho. I learned to drive just about every truck and tractor on the farm before I was old enough to have a driver’s license. There was a lot of work, but much of it seemed more like play, especially the times we spent at our ranch in the mountains. A favorite memory is riding horses with my dad and other family members over the wide, open reaches to check on cattle or participate in roundups.

I loved to read, and by the time I was twelve I knew I wanted to be a writer. I also enjoyed photography and preserving the family stories and history. It wasn’t until I met my husband, though, that I developed a real interest in history itself. He made the subject more than just a bunch of boring dates and events. He brought it to life because he made it about the people. If I’d had him for a history teacher, I would have spent more time listening and less time staring out the window, wishing I was back at the ranch!

While my husband served in the U. S. Navy, we lived in Maine and South Carolina then returned to Idaho where we settled on twenty-five acres to raise our family. We have three daughters, who are all grown now and scattered around the country, but we take every opportunity to visit them and spoil our grandchildren. We also bought the ranch I grew up on. And, I’m proud to say that in a few years it will have been in my family for a century.

I’ve been fortunate to have thirteen books published. My books have had both men and women as fans, and they have been translated into numerous languages throughout the world. Besides western romances, for which I’m mainly known, I’ve written a historical saga (Raveled Ends of Sky), a contemporary fiction (The Last Rodeo), a western adventure (The Daughters of Luke McCall), and numerous short stories. My books are character driven, dealing with conflicts of the heart and frailties of the human spirit, but I also like to incorporate lots of action and adventure, drama, and humor. I’m currently working on a historical novel that contains two elements I dearly love to combine: the historical West and the paranormal.

I’m a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and Blue Sage Writers of Idaho.  I also enjoy hearing from readers and fellow writers who love the West as much as I do,  and I will answer all letters.