The following first appeared as a blog post in 2023. I’ve updated it a little to use on this permanent page.
- Who are you?
I’m a Christ-follower, the mother of two daughters, grandmother of six, and great-grandmother of three. I’m a novelist, with 98 books published and more in the pipeline. - Where are you from and where do you live?
I am a native Idahoan. Born in Idaho. Raised in Idaho. Live in Idaho (Boise area). Plan to die in Idaho, should the Lord tarry. - What do you like to do in your spare time?
I don’t have a lot of spare time, but I like to watch BBC mysteries, listen to audiobooks, play with my dogs, study the Bible and Bible art journal, and occasionally knit something. - Can you tell us a little bit about your faith journey?
I came to faith in Jesus at the age of 24. God led me to Himself through books. First I was given The Living Bible and I began reading the New Testament. While that was going on, I read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, Woman to Woman by Eugenia Price, and Prison to Praise by Merlin Carruthers. When I finished that last book, I was weeping, overwhelmed by how much God loved me. I’ve been a follower of Christ ever since. - If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Believer.
Mom/Grandma/Grandy (sorry, that’s a combination that can’t be separated).
Author. - What inspires you?
The Word of God and the grace of God.
My sisters in Christ.
Other writers.
The beauty of nature that can be seen so easily where I live. - How did you get into writing?
I loved books even before I could read because I was born into a family of readers. Everybody else was always holding a book. God created me to be a storyteller. I loved to spin stories from an early age, but I wanted to do my storytelling on the stage. So I participated in theater in junior high and high school and in my twenties. All this time I was reading, reading, reading. Eventually, I had an idea for a story rolling around in my head, and several things happened that finally made me decide to start putting it on paper. In March 1981, I began writing on a yellow legal pad in the evenings after I got home from work, and I finished it in November 1981. There were a few bumps along the way to getting it published, but that finally happened in January 1984. I quit my day job the month my ninth novel released, and I’ve been writing nonstop ever since. Recently my youngest daughter said, “My childhood memories are filled with the understanding that Mom is on a deadline.” She said she loves it that Mom is still on a deadline all these decades later. - What inspired your latest book and what is the story behind it? [still the 2023 answer]
The Beginning of Wisdom (December 2023) is about the Queen of Sheba, beginning with her visit with King Solomon in Jerusalem and continuing after she returns to her palace in Sheba. Thus it is inspired by what we can read about her in the Bible. Researching beyond the Bible (myths, traditions, etc.) was fascinating, and I often had to choose between two possibilities.
To Marry an English Lord, the second book in The British Are Coming series, will release in February 2024. I first got the idea for that book 15 years ago, so it definitely was a long time coming. - What are you working on now? [still the 2023 answer]
I am currently writing a contemporary Christmas romance that is part of a series of books set on fictional Sanctuary Island in Lake Huron. I’m having lots of fun with this one. It will release next November. Title to be shared in the new year. - What are your goals and aspirations?
Well, if God grants me my wish, I will surpass 100 published books, and I would love to have a sharp brain and be writing away on a new book when God calls me home. Smack! Head to keyboard. Robin wakes up in Paradise. That’s how I would script it.
I hope my life and my writing honors God and points others to Him. I pray that I am an encouragement to others in all I do and say.
