ABOUT
Bio
I'm a native Bostonian transplanted to sweltering Florida. When not ferrying my children to extracurricular activities, I spend every free moment writing and reading, from novels to poetry and book reviews. As mentioned below, volunteering is a big part of my life, as well. My tertiary passions include synchronized swimming, wine consumption, and teaching my daughters to curse in French.
Illustrious writer and reviewer K. L. Romo recently interviewed me for the Washington Independent Review of Books. Get to know me better here.
Why volunteering matters
To create in-depth fiction about the lives of women, I believe a writer must leave her desk and embrace women of all cultural backgrounds and points of view. One way to connect is by helping people wholly unlike oneself. I volunteer for RAMWI, a local charity that welcomes immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers as they adjust to their new lives in Tampa, Florida.
Through its Sew Much Hope Project division, I help teach sewing to women who dream of using these skills to sell products or find employment. The resulting friendships and collaborations not only nourish a sense of community for everyone, but also blossom a perseverance I passionately want to portray in my fiction. Currently, I'm managing three projects for four seamstresses and helping them sell at local craft festivals. Thank you, Ramwi family!
Why I interview: The Woman Reader Project
My greatest challenge as a writer is understanding who my target audience is. This can be difficult because I seek a diverse group of readers to enjoy my work. So, how do I learn what will make these women laugh or reflect or nod their heads in understanding?
Get to know them. Talk with them. Find the intersection between the scenes I love to write and those they enjoy reading.
The Woman Reader Project is an interview series aiming to do that. I’ve selected among women I admire in my community to hear their thoughts and readerly desires. Check it out here.
Affiliations
I am a proud member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association since 2016. Wonderful thanks to the three brilliant critique partners whom I met through the WFWA community.
photo credits: Elizabeth Riefler, Canva.com, GoDaddy