Author

“Children are a tough audience. You can fool an adult with persiflage or purple prose, but a kid can tell if you’re faking immediately.”
Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

As a children’s author, I work to write stories that inspire and entertain because I believe a good story can teach great truths. I like to think I'm a missionary of the written word, knowing my books go places I can’t and will live on long after I’m gone.

Like Dr. Seuss, I want to be real with children whether I’m writing stories or teaching workshops. I don’t think God would have it any other way.

"Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the Lord."
Psalm 102:18 NIV

TEENS

“The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.”
JRR Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings

I've always loved fantasy. Mysterious and magical worlds fascinate me. Most teens I know love fantasy, too. So, I put what I love and what they love together and have started writing fantasy novels for middlers, teens, and young adults.

I believe great truths can be told in fantasy without sounding preachy or stuffy. We all read to enjoy and escape the real world for just a little while. It's my goal to transport my readers to a land of wonders and danger and heroism while helping them discover the best about themselves and the world God has created. And let's be honest – it's a lot of fun!

PARENTS

I lived with a deep, dark secret for many years. I hated being the parent of a special needs child. I often felt as though I couldn't cope with the responsibility. I saw no joy in it; I had no hope for a better life for myself or my daughter. I grappled with despair, grief, frustration, anger and isolation.

But I couldn’t show that. I pasted on my best Christian smile and acted like I was really handling this thing well. I wouldn’t let them see my inner struggle. I kept it a secret, locked up inside me—and tearing me apart.  I mean, what would people THINK if they knew? I was a perfect Christian mom, after all.

Yeah, right.

People kept telling me what a BLESSING my daughter was. Since I received so much affirmation, surely it WAS a blessing to be Anna's mom. But why didn't it feel that way? I had no idea what to say to these well-meaning, but clueless, folks. So, I would smile and thank them and die a little more inside. And I would always think, "Shut up, it's NOT a blessing!"

I never heard anyone else vocalize these feelings. Could I really be the only one who felt this way? The thought that other parents must be struggling in the same way occurred to me and I felt God urging me to share this by way of a blog.

Where Are The Blessings? is a real, raw, honest blog about being the Christian parent of a special needs child. How it sucks the life clean out of you. How I grieve the loss of a normal child every day. How I want my life back. How I don't want to do it anymore. How God helps me through it, bear it, carry it, do it since 1991. I'm real with the emotional roller coaster. I've addressed churches that have no place for our special kids ... and the well-meaning, clueless, people who say, "But she's SUCH a blessing!" Mostly, I show other parents who are struggling they are not alone. If you are a parent of a special needs child and you're struggling – or if you know a parent who is struggling – please join us by clicking on Parents Blog.