Bio

 

My goal as a storyteller is to inspire compassion, justice, and belonging to help make our world a better place.  I hope to give reprieve and joy through my stories and poetry to those who need it most. 

My stories and poetry are for the curious, open-minded and brave. They are for the compassionate who believe that we are not free until all of us are free. They are for those who believe in inclusion, are eco-conscious, and who don’t want to be passive bystanders to the injustice in the world. My stories are about love, social problems, self-introspection, and the divine – all from a sociological perspective.

Regardless of which genre I’m creating in, my stories and poetry are always provoking, eccentric, inclusive, and openhearted.

My book, Storm of Roses earned first place in the Poetry Category of the “BEST BOOKS” book awards and was an award-winning finalist in the poetry category of the “National Indie Excellence” book awards. I’ve been gratefully adding joy and thought-provoking experiences to my readers lives for over 3 decades; most of which was before I was formally published.

Readers have said the sacrilegious tendencies of my poetry and stories make them wrestle with their own beliefs. They have also said, “her work is very moving, expressing a wide range of emotions”, “tranquil yet disarming all at the while thought provoking”, and “this book expresses raw emotions…she has touched my life.”

One of my favorite letters was from an inmate serving 15 years in the Federal Correctional Institution in Gilmer, West Virginia. He wrote, “My blood brother Ko Ko kidnaps your book every single night, aint that a b—-, your book is gold in here. It brightens up everybody’s day who reads it. I know when I’m pissed off I read your book and it brings me in another world, I basically escape prison for a little while.”

As a Speaker, I’ve taught at progressive places of worship, conferences, academic classes, and served as an inspirational opening speaker and led closing ceremonies for events such as Women’s Retreats. I’m happy to speak with college clubs, associations, special interest groups, and non-profits. I deeply appreciate opportunities to support other Creatives via book clubs, conferences, podcasts, and more. I teach on creativity as a spiritual practice, activism for introverts, growing your artist platform, using your book to market your book, healing through storytelling, and discovering your dream career through storytelling.

I’m a graduate of Sweet Briar College and Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School with a B.A in Sociology, Law &

Society minor and a M.S. in Organizational Development & Strategic Human Resources. I also have a Masters of Arts in Leadership Studies from Meadville Lombard Theological School.  Trained as a clinical sociologist with a spiritually liberal perspective, I inspire readers and empower creatives to unlock their divine, purpose-driven gifts so they can share them with the world.

As a Storyteller, I create and share my stories to bring joy to those in need. Storytelling is my way of changing the world for the better. My stories impact the world by making it more welcoming and inclusive. The world is a better place when we all feel safe, respected, and comfortable being ourselves and expressing all aspects of our identities. Readers know that getting lost in a book can be a reprieve from a stressful day or an escape from life’s disappointments. A whole life can change by one story. One experience can change a heart.

I’m also fascinated by research from cognitive neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis’s that shows reading silently for only six minutes works 68% better for relaxation than other proven methods such as listening to music, going for a walk, or sipping a cup of tea. He also found that regularly reading just a bit more than that — only 30 minutes a day—has been shown to add two years to our lives. That said, I like to think that my stories help people live longer and healthier lives. AKA Live Longer & Prosper!

Art has this power that absolutely nothing else has. I believe art is a powerful tool to convey and teach. My art is my storytelling. Storytelling is the way I live out my purpose in life, which is to do my part to make the world a better place and give reprieve and joy to those who need it most.

Thank you for learning more about me. Your support means a lot and I appreciate it!

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The Alliance of Independent Authors - Author Member