Bio

After a 30-year career as an architect, I returned to school a few years ago and obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Fairfield University. Since graduating, I have become a full-time author, book coach, editor, and teacher/lecturer…and LOVE it!

My first novel, Frozen Voices, won the Fairfield Book Prize and was published by New Rivers Press in 2016. This work of historical fiction chronicles the lives of four passengers aboard the steamship Larchmont when she sank off the coast of Rhode Island in 1907.

My second book, The Curious Childhood of Wanton Chase, is the first book of my Rose Island Lighthouse Series. It is a middle-grade work of creative non-fiction that tells the true-life story of Wanton Chase, a young boy who lived with his grandparents at Newport’s Rose Island Lighthouse from 1910 to 1916. CCWC was published by Woodhall Press in June 2019.

The Island Adventures of Paul Stedman (Woodhall Press, 2021), the second book of the Lighthouse Series, follows the life of another boy who lived in the Rose Island Lighthouse and then journaled about it later in life—his recollections are the bases for the book. As with CCWC, I created TIAOPS in collaboration with a talented group of women who provided research, illustrations, and graphic design.

But Cats Don’t Talk (Woodhall Press, 2023), my fourth book, is a young adult novel about Becca O’Sullivan, a gifted young pianist with a unique kitty named BC (Beethoven the Cat) who offers her dubious advice about how to overcome some pretty large obstacles so she can succeed in her concert career.

Since obtaining my MFA, I have also enjoyed many teaching opportunities. So far, I’ve taught English composition and technical writing at the University of Rhode Island (URI) and the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), planned and instructed several writing craft seminars at author workshops, and conducted many continuing education writing classes at URI. I greatly enjoy teaching and hope to offer a series of book-writing workshops in the near future.

As a book coach and editor, I love working with other writers to assist them in the development of their novels and other literary projects. I especially enjoy having the privilege of working with someone long-term as a book coach, which allows me to witness the progress of the writer and her project over time.

When not writing, I enjoy designing and crafting stained glass pieces, playing dobro guitar, and spending time at home in Rhode Island with my family: my husband, Chris, our adult daughters, Julia and Laura, and my mom, Marilyn. We all appreciate the company of our sweet beagle, Fred.