Education

M.A.    International Affairs. Ohio University, Athens, OH, 1995.

B.A.     French and Psychology. Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, 1992.

International Exchange. Université de Savoie, Chambéry, France, 1990-91.

Publications

Novels

  • THE CROWS OF BEARA. (Ashland, OR: Ashland Creek Press, September 2017).

  • IN ANOTHER LIFE. (Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, February 2016).

  • UPSIDE-DOWN GIRL. Completed.

  • GOOD FOR VANISHING. In progress.

Short Stories/Flash Fiction

  • “Pour Out Like Water,” Gold Man Review Issue 14, November 1, 2024: 32-39.

  • “The Refugee,” The Waves Anthology, A Room of Her Own Foundation, August 2023.

  • “The Volunteers,” The Selkie, March 11, 2019.

  • “Rollerblading in Venice,” No Extra Words short story podcast, January 23, 2016.

  • “Wine: A Love Story,” Emerge Literary Journal, January 2016.

  • “Granny,” No Extra Words short story podcast, November 17, 2015.

  • “Prix Fixe,” Mud Season Review, Vol. 1, May 2015: 97-112.

  • “Milk and Blood,” Cobalt Review, March 2014: 33-37.

  • “Colorado,” Up Do: Flash Fiction by Women Writers. Patricia Flaherty Pagan, ed. (Houston, TX: Spider Road Press, February 2014): 22-23.

  • “Lovely,” flash fiction, Short Story HQ Flash of Fiction Anthology. Kate Krake, ed. (Smashwords, November 2013): 50-52.

  • “The Slaughterhouse,” River Poets Journal, Vol. 6 No. 3, Autumn/Winter 2012: 32-36.

  • “Dulce et Decorum Est,” Cirque: A Literary Journal of the North Pacific Rim, Vol. 4 No 1 Winter Solstice 2012: 17-20.

  • “Water Child,” Stories for Sendai: An Anthology. J.C. Martin & Michelle Davidson Argyle, eds. June 2011: 97-101.

Essays/Articles/Book Reviews

  • “Writing to Win: Am I Taking This All Too Seriously?,” Writer Unboxed, September 25, 2024.

  • “Hustle and Flow,” Writer Unboxed, July 24, 2024.

  • “The Soft Tissue Principle: Sharing Work Too Early,” Writer Unboxed, May 14, 2024

  • “Mirror, Mirror,” Writer Unboxed, March 27, 2024.

  • “Writing with Intentionality,” Writer Unboxed, January 24, 2024.

  • “Honoring the Unknowable Self,” The Town Crier, February 25, 2019.

  • "The Wild Birds, by Emily Strelow," Washington Independent Review of Books, April 13, 2018.

  • "The Atlas of Forgotten Places, by Jenny D. Williams," Washington Independent Review of Books, July 23, 2017.

  • “Everything is Love Is, by Claire King,” Washington Independent Review of Books, January 26, 2017.

  • “The Narrow Road to the Deep North,” The Style Hut Book of Reviews, Vol. 1 No. 2, Jan-Feb 2015.

  • “Their Names,” Three Minus One: Stories of Parents’ Love and Loss. Sean Hanish & Brooke Warner, eds. (Berkeley, CA: She Writes Press, April 2014): 127-130.

  • “Winning Proposals: Writing a Successful Statement of Purpose for Study Abroad,” Transitions Abroad, Vol. 22 No. 3, Nov-Dec 1998.

  • “Short-Term Study Abroad: Balancing What Students Need and What They Can Afford,” Transitions Abroad, Vol. 20 No. 4, Jan-Feb 1997.

Awards and Honors

  • 2016 GOLD Winner for Fantasy, Foreword Indie Awards. IN ANOTHER LIFE. American Library Association Annual Conference, June 2017.

  • Women’s Fiction Writers Association, STAR Award for Debut Fiction, Finalist, September 2017.

  • Siskiyou Prize for New Environmental Literature, Finalist. THE CROWS OF BEARA. Karen Joy Fowler, Judge, Ashland Creek Press. December 2014.

  • New Millennium Writings Award for Fiction, Finalist, November 2013.

  • Short Story HQ Flash Fiction, First Prize (Romance), November 2013.

  • Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Award for Fiction, finalist, January 2012.

Teaching/Public Speaking/Readings

Teaching

  • “Jumpstart Your Novel!” The Writers’ Workshoppe, Port Townsend, WA, September 20-October 25, 2023.

  • “Writing in a Time of Crisis: Micro-Fiction and the Pandemic.” Port Townsend School of the Arts, Port Townsend, April 2-30, 2020.

  • “A Needle Pulling Thread: How to Write Your Story’s Beginning.” BARN, Bainbridge Island, WA, March 7, 2020.

  • “The Art and Craft of the Query, Part 2: Workshop Your Query.” BARN, Bainbridge Island, WA, December 8 & September 22, 2018.

  • “The Art and Craft of the Query, Part 1: A Nuts and Bolts Workshop.” BARN, Bainbridge Island, WA, May 5, 2018.

  • "Spark to Flame: Writing Micro-Fiction." The Writers’ Workshoppe, Port Townsend, WA, October 10-December 5, 2017.

  • “A Needle Pulling Thread: How to Write Your Story’s Beginning.” BARN, Bainbridge Island, WA, September 16, 2017.

  • “Novels-in-Progress: A Weekly Feedback and Motivation Workshop.” The Writers’ Workshoppe, Port Townsend, WA. Two weekly sessions, June 20-August 25, 2016 & June 20-August 22, 2016.

  • “A Needle Pulling Thread: How to Write Your Story’s Beginning.” The Writers’ Workshoppe, Port Townsend, WA, May 21, 2016.

  • “Novels-in-Progress: A Weekly Feedback and Motivation Workshop.” The Writers’ Workshoppe, Port Townsend, WA. Two weekly sessions, January 7-March 17, 2016 & January 11-March 21, 2016.

  • “Novels-in-Progress: A Weekly Feedback and Motivation Workshop.” The Writers’ Workshoppe, Port Townsend, WA. Weekly, September 15-November 17, 2015.

  • “The Art and Craft of the Query, Part 2: Workshop Your Query Letter.” The Writers’ Workshoppe, Port Townsend, WA. September 19, 2015.

  • “The Art and Craft of the Query, Part 1: A Nuts and Bolts Workshop.” The Writers’ Workshoppe, Port Townsend, WA. July 25, 2015.

Interviews

Professional Development: Selected Workshops/Conferences

  • Port Townsend Writer’s Conference, Master Class with Helena María Viramontes, Port Townsend, WA, July 20-27, 2016.

  • Writing the Imaginal, Bridgid Mosher, Port Townsend, WA, February 22, 2016.

  • Fearless Writing, Lidia Yuknavitch, Port Townsend, WA, August 23-24 2015.

  • Lining Our Thoughts: A Poetry Workshop with Leanne O’Sullivan. Anam Cara Artists’Retreat, Eyeries, Ireland, July 4-11, 2015.

  • Whidbey Island Writers’ Conference, Coupeville, WA, October 2014.

  • Everyday Book Marketing, Midge Raymond, Port Townsend, WA, September 2014.

  • Writing Memoir, Claire Dederer, Port Townsend, WA, April 2014.

  • Emerald City Writers’ Conference, Seattle, WA, October 2013.

  • Lining Up the Bones: Writing Paranormal Romance, RWA Online Course, October 2014.

  • Port Townsend Writers’ Conference, July 2013.

  • Approaching the Reader, Jonathan Evison, Seattle, March 2013.

  • Writing in Scenes, Nancy Kress, Seattle, February 2013.

  • Salon at SAM, Hedgebrook-sponsored workshop, Seattle, January 2013.

  • Crafting a Winning Book Proposal, Jen Worick & Kerry Colburn, Seattle, October 2012.

  • Chuckanut Writers Conference, Bellingham, WA, June 2012.

  • Short Stories Ain’t Easy, Robert Ferrigno, Seattle, November 2011.

  • The Short Story, Paul Michel, Seattle, March 2011.

  • Essay Writing: How to Find the Story In You and Sell It, Amypaturel.com, Summer 2011

  • Feature Writing: Creative Non-Fiction, Yakima Valley Community College, Winter 2003.

Affiliations/Memberships

  • Editorial Freelancer’s Association

  • Pacific Northwest Writers Association

  • Women’s Fiction Writers Association

Related Experience

  • Freelance story/developmental editing; query, synopsis critiquing, writer mentoring service. September 2014-present.

  • International Higher Education Administrator, 1995-2006. Developed & presented multiple conference speeches & workshops, “train the trainer” activities, student handbooks.

  • Teacher of English as a Second Language: Chad, Africa, 1993; Kyoto, Japan 1991.