: About Me

Nan was born with a pen in one hand, a legal pad in the other and has been writing ever since.  Published in local and regional magazines, she has also written her own curriculum for teaching creative writing, speech and debate.

For the past 32 years, Nan has also kept a daily journal.  These annuals take a prominent place on her library shelves and include personal travel diaries, current events, family memories and humorous reflections on life.

Fresh out of college, Nan worked part time as a freelance features editor for a local newspaper, The Florence Herald.  She covered the opening of a new mall and did feature articles about local artists, health care facilities and farmers. 

The Herald, which began in 1884 as a weekly newspaper, has since become a publishing company and is no longer a news source.  Nan is grateful for the lessons she learned as features editor.  Interviews, deadlines and tight-writing requirements sharpened her skills and taught her the lesson that still guides her writing today - if her first sentence doesn't snag you, she's wasted your time.

As manager of Helium's Education Channel, Nan works with a great team in maintaining that site.  She creates new titles, oversees articles that come into the channel, reaches out to new members, encourages veteran writers and contributes articles of her own. With her dictionary and thesaurus nearby, Nan gave up the pen and pad of years gone by and now writes on her laptop.

My passion is ...

... touching the hearts of my readers.

My parents always told me ...

... to be thankful for my blessings.

Why I write ...

I write to inspire and inform, to encourage and entertain.

My first job ...

... was as secretary for the city tax assessor.

My best moment ...

... was August 31, 1974, 6:30 p.m. when I married my husband!

My inspiration ...

... is found in two polar opposites - the awesome complexity of God's creation and the simple, everyday happenings of life.

Parenting & Pregnancy > Child Discipline Strategies Why parents should set boundaries for children

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Boundaries are those "fences" we set up to protect our children. Sometimes they are visible - like the hedges, wooden fences or stone walls that outline our yards. Other boundaries are invisible, like the rules, limitations and standards we set up to guard our children's personal safety and welfare. As we reinforce or maintain these boundaries, our children are free to relax and enjoy childhood. They are also freer to develop to their highest potential under our watchful care. But even while children find comfort and security in boundaries, they also tend to resist them. Why is this? Durin...

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Writing:

Rating:

• Marketplace Premier Writer
• Creative Writing Silver
• Professional Journalist
• Editorial Advisory Board
• Channel Manager Education
• Marketplace Approved Writer
• Homeschooler
• News Writer
• Channel Manager Thanksgiving
• Helium Charter Member