MY STORY

I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember

I got my first typewriter when I was nine, and writing quickly became one of those things that was simply part of who I was. I wrote stories, won writing awards in school, and eventually turned words into work—writing articles and blogs, ghostwriting, and helping other people tell their stories.

But writing wasn’t the only creative path I followed.

I started designing websites when I was fifteen, back when websites had black backgrounds, animated GIFs, and very questionable design choices. What began as something I loved doing grew into more than 25 years of working online, building businesses, designing websites, creating content, and helping other people turn their ideas into something real.

Life in between wasn’t a straight line.

There were marriages, divorce, motherhood, difficult seasons, fresh starts, and years when creativity had to fit into whatever little spaces life left available. I became a mom of six, built a life that allowed me to work from home, and eventually found my way back to writing—not because everything had suddenly become simple, but because I realized how much I needed creativity to be part of my life.

Today, my work sits at the intersection of all those things.

I write. I publish. I design. I help authors bring their books into the world. I create things simply because I love creating them. And I’m continually working toward a life that’s a little simpler, more intentional, and more meaningful.

I don’t believe creativity belongs only to artists or writers.

I believe we’re all creative—and that making room for the things that matter to us is at the core of thriving!

WHERE I AM NOW

These days, my creative life is a mix of all the things I’ve loved for years—writing, creating, designing, simplifying, and helping other people bring their ideas to life.

I’m writing my own books and building a body of work centered around creativity, intentional living, and making meaningful things. At the same time, I’m building Cinder Creek Press, my independent publishing company, where I can use everything I’ve learned about writing, design, publishing, and online business to help other authors take their books from manuscript to finished work they’re proud to put into the world.

Through Hidden Book Nook, I get to indulge another lifelong love: books. I especially enjoy discovering authors and stories that might otherwise get overlooked and creating a space where I can share those discoveries with other readers.

And somewhere in between all of that, I’m still a mom, a homebody, a perpetual project-starter, and someone who is always looking for a simpler way to do things.

For a long time, the different pieces of my life felt like separate paths—writing over here, business over there, creativity somewhere in between. Now I see them differently. They’re all part of the same thing: building a creative life that feels meaningful to me and helping other people do the same in their own way.

I’m still figuring things out. Still creating. Still changing my mind. Still starting new projects when I probably already have enough.

And I think that’s part of the point.

A meaningful life isn’t something you finish building. It’s something you keep creating.

A FEW THINGS ABOUT ME

Life Simplifier

I don’t believe everything needs to be complicated.  I have a knack for simplifying things.