ABOUT ME
I never expected to become the storyteller in my family. My grandma and my dad were the writers. Growing up, I was surrounded by their words—my grandma scribbling poetry on scraps of paper and napkins, and my dad spinning stories out of nowhere as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
When I was a freshman in high school, he told me a story I never forgot. Decades later, while working alongside him, I asked him to tell it again. I told him he should write a book, and together we drafted the first rough version on butcher paper. Now, nearly thirty years later, I’ve taken those old notes and finally finished the story. I’m working on getting it published.
Some people grow up knowing they want to write. That wasn’t me. I loved to read. I loved to daydream. I loved musical theater. Stepping onto a stage in front of an audience was easy because I wasn’t myself anymore—I was a character, a story brought to life.
Books became my escape from reality. During my years working in the medical field, I looked forward to my breaks just so I could take a “mental break” with whatever book I had in my bag.
When my daughter was born, I thought she might follow my love of theater, but she found her own way of storytelling through figure skating. Watching her glide across the ice filled me with pride. She’s truly gifted.
A lot of homework was done in the car during those years, traveling from rink to rink. She took a creative writing class in high school, and we often bounced ideas off each other. I’ll admit—I hijacked one of her stories once. The words just flowed, and we earned a good grade to top it off.
The idea for Broken came to me while I was cutting the grass one day. Later, I told the story to my dad and daughter while we were swimming in the pool. They loved it and immediately asked where they could read it. I told them I had to write it first. That was the moment I realized I might actually want to be a writer. My dad has been my sounding board ever since. I can’t imagine doing this without him.
And through it all, my husband worked tirelessly—often juggling two jobs—to support our daughter’s dreams on the ice. His dedication made so much possible for our family. Now that we’re both retired, he’s cheering me on as I pursue my own dream, all while enjoying his own dream job at Progressive Field with the Cleveland Guardians.