: About Me

I have been a member of Helium since June, 2009. It has been an exciting time for me. I have come in third, twice, in writing contests during that time, and hope to win at some point. I know I have been improving my writing skills along the way.

I have always been a voracious reader, and have written on and off since childhood, but it took an unfortunate illness for me to turn to writing full time. It has helped me cope with the pain and frustration of my condition, and has helped me reach out to others as well.

On nights, when I can't sleep, I get up and write so I don't disturb my husband. We have been married for 23 years, and have raised 6 wonderful young men together. I couldn't ask for a more supportive partner in life.

My first novel, Trail of Tears, was published on 11/24/09 and I could not be happier. My dream was to see my book in print and that has come true. Now I just have to keep writing and improving and hope that people find the story interesting enough to buy, read, and tell their friends about. I have had numerous poems, several short stories and articles published on other writing sites and I really hope to learn more, and improve my writing skills here on Helium.

I write quite a bit about coping with chronic pain and depression, my family is an endless source of good material for me, and I write poetry, although not well. I use humor as a coping mechanism too, and I think you will see that come through in my writing as well, but my love is creative writing, fiction in particular. I love to tell stories: putting pen to paper and just see where it takes me.

My greatest wish is that my writing touches someone, that I bring joy to those who read my work, or make you think while you read it. If I accomplish that, then I am happy.

A note to my readers. Please keep in mind, when reading my work that most of what I write is fiction. When writing about relationship issues, I draw from a close friend's relationship and her experiences. She is a willing participant as long as she remains anonymous. I appreciate her contributions and honesty.

My passion is ...

My husband, my boys, and writing

I know too much about ...

Pain

My parents always told me ...

to be honest

My childhood ambition ...

to be a nurse

My favorite memory ...

our family reunions

Why I write ...

I have to!

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

Birds chirping outside my window.

My first job ...

working at Jack-in-the-Box.

My best moment ...

the births of all 3 of my boys

My inspiration ...

my husband

Creative Writing > Novel Excerpts Novel excerpts: Murder

22 of 50

This is the first chapter of my novel: Trail of Tears. Daniel stood with his head bowed, the sun beating hot on the top of his head, glinting off the dark shades he wore. He was standing over the latest grisly discovery and could feel the coffee churning in his gut. "Hey Chief." His second in command came up behind him. He turned and faced Larry. "Looks like another one." He said. "Same mutilations. Have you called in the crime scene guys?" "Yep, they're on the way. Said it'd be about 20 minutes before they could get here." Larry answered. Daniel looked at Larry's face and thought it was a...

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• Registered Nurse
• Helium Charter Member