On the Blog page, I share random insights into my writing journey, general musings, and updates about my current work in progress. Additionally, on the “My Hubby’s Book” page, you can learn about my husband’s debut novel, “Covered Tracks.” Written under the pen name Neal Steffens, Stephen’s novel is a fun read, despite falling in the crime drama/mystery genre.
Feel free to stay in touch through the contact page. I’d love to hear from you!
Join me as I share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, musings on storytelling, and random thoughts that visit me in the middle of the night.
Learn about my husband’s debut novel, “Covered Tracks.” Written under the pen name Neal Steffens.
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"Forks & Knives" was born as part of a long journal entry, a cathartic release. In 2003, despite being happily married to my second husband, insomnia visited me regularly. My brain pushed and pulled, working through hurtful and confusing memories that defined the rocky journey of my first marriage and its ultimate demise. The finished document sat inside my computer, unread, for seventeen years.
When I retired in 2021, I revisited the document, hesitantly. “Is this worth reworking into a novel? Would anyone care about this?” I asked my best friend, my husband Stephen, to read it. Bonus for me: He taught American literature for more than twenty-five years (!), so I knew I could trust his opinion. Happily, he confirmed, “Yes, it’s good. You should work on it.” Then he introduced me to Brian Kaufman (www.authorbriankaufman.com) and Penpointers, the Northern Colorado writer’s group that Stephen had belonged to years before I met him. Over the next year and a half, my self-focused monologue transformed into a work of fiction that would appeal to people outside my immediate circle of friends and family. At least that’s my hope.
Whenever I mention what this book is about, I'm invariably met with, "Yeah, my mom was a drinker," or "My son was sober for a while, but . . ." There are millions of stories like mine out there -- people who have loved/lived with alcoholics/addicts and struggled to hold on through the pain. But there are ways we can help and support those we love without losing ourselves. This novel alone can't help those still working through those dark days, but maybe some of the resources here can play a role.
