: About Me

Like others here, I wear many hats. Whether you call me daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, musician, colleague, or friend, I am proud of my accomplishments.

I have been writing since I was a sophomore in high school, when I entered my first national creative writing contest and won third prize in my category. I caught the bug and studied English and Writing at Purdue University because, other than my music, it was the only thing at which I was ever really good.

As an adult, I switched to writing that would give me a steady paycheck. As a result, I have more than 20 years of experience as a technical writer and editor for the computer software industry at large. I have written software reference manuals, on-line/web help, and training materials for several Fortune 500 companies, such as Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, and Monsanto.

I also authored, co-authored, or edited various white papers and other documentation on military battle simulation software at a non-profit firm that contracted to the U.S. Department of Defense. During my tenure in that position I held a DoD security clearance at the level of *Secret*.

Currently I work for the e-commerce division of Network Solutions, helping to make the software easier to use by defining software requirements. I also write some end-user help documentation.

Other creative projects I've had in my career include some desktop publishing and editing/writing for company internal newsletters.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading a good novel, listening to progressive rock music, and performing with my band, Rubber Universe. Recently we released our first CD of original music, The Parliament of Fooles. We perform as often as we can. Read more about this by clicking on the link under the "mylinks" section to the right.

Branching out and breaking into new writing styles and genres can be somewhat problematic at times. As a writer, it is easy to find yourself "pigeon-holed" into a specific style or genre that becomes more and more difficult to change over time. Often in the past, to get "in the door" of a new genre or style, you needed to know someone already inside who could help pave your way. Otherwise it could seem pretty hopeless.

Fortunately, with the World Wide Web opening up some of these doors, it is becoming easier to find opportunities to contribute. I hope to use this opportunity to branch out and gain new experiences and new insight into other worlds of writing.

Feel free to contact me.

My passion is ...

Music and performing with my band.

I know too much about ...

Growing up poor in Chicago.

My parents always told me ...

The best things in life are never free.

My childhood ambition ...

To become a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

My favorite memory ...

Visiting Barcelona, Spain for the first time. It's my favorite place in the whole world.

Why I write ...

I am more competent in expressing my thoughts and opinions in writing than in talking.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Sirius satellite radio - so many stations, so little time...

My first job ...

Waiting tables at Denny's when I was in college.

My best moment ...

Looking in the eyes of my first child and realizing I had brought this perfect little human being into the world.

My inspiration ...

Anyone who has fought against the odds and succeeded.

Health & Fitness > Nutrition Tips What should I eat and drink if I want to take care of my singing voice?

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Tips For Taking Care of Your Unique Instrument: Your Voice As a vocalist, you have a very unique instrument to maintain: your voice. You need to take care of your instrument. Just as a musician performs regular maintenance on her cello or guitar or saxophone, you have to keep your voice lubricated, clean, in tune, and in good working condition to get the best possible quality when you need it. The food you eat, liquids you drinks, and other products that you use on a daily basis can affect your voice. Every singer probably knows the basics of voice maintenance. Don't smoke. Cut down on caf...

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