Published Works

Something you should know about me: My alter ego is Nancy Drew. I love creeping through dilapidated buildings, flashlight in hand, and digging for clues in dusty archives. (The best stories are oftentimes buried there!)

I have a curious mind and a deep, abiding love for the written word, as message-bearer and magic carpet. I still pinch myself, honored as I am to be published in co-operative works alongside some very fine authors. My writing also appears in published articles, newsletters, corporate materials, and educational journals—sometimes with a byline, but more often as a ghostwriter. And my favorite writing projects of all involve research trips of some kind. Secrets. Mysteries. What lies in the shadows, just beyond reach?

My roadster’s idling at the curb; I’ve got my notepad handy, and my camera’s fully charged. Hop in—I’ll let you ride shotgun! 

Today's top authors for teens share their stories about bullying — as silent observers on the sidelines of high school, as victims, and as perpetrators. From some of the biggest names in teen fiction comes a collection at turns moving and self-effacing, but always deeply personal. – from Harper Collins

I'm honored by this opportunity to share a painful, but ultimately positive experience with readers, in hopes that it will bring some measure of comfort to those who find themselves in similar circumstances. My contribution, “Luz” is a call to our better angels – an invitation to walk, hand in hand, from darkness into light.

Available at Amazon and most bookstores.

Once upon a time—in third grade, to be exact—I vowed that I'd become the kind of teacher I always wished I had. I grew up to be an educator, and then a full-time writer. But I’ve never lost sight of that long-ago promise: to see, really see, the students who disappear into the back row seats of an overcrowded classroom.

From policy makers to parents to the public at large, A is for Assessment and Accountability is for anyone who shares that vision. Frequently cited in educational settings and academic publications, this glossary is free to my website visitors.

Download your free PDF file here.

The Girl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed-Up World is a must-read for girls in grades 6–8 as they enter the tumultuous world of adolescence. Packed with fun worksheets and quizzes, as well as stories from older girls and women, The Girl Guide covers everything a teenage girl needs to know on the journey toward her own identity. – from Prufrock Press

I can’t think of anyone who had a greater impact on my formative years than my 4’7” maternal grandmother. Nana was charming, quirky, and cheerful in all circumstances. And so it is that my contribution to The Girl Guide is called “Lessons I Learned from My Nana.” Yes, they’re old school. Antique, even. But as is the case with our most precious memories, I think her pearls of wisdom have withstood the test of time.

Available at Amazon and most bookstores.

In the Works!

I’m looking forward to the day I’ll be able to share with you my current book project, Can I Get a Witness? Memoir of a Tent Evangelist's Daughter.

"This is my Miracle Baby," my father told worshippers in his tent meetings, "God heard my prayers and brought little Melodye back from the dead!" I basked in my special story, along with the spotlight we shared.

He boasted about attending seminary with Billy Graham; but while "America's Preacher" beamed his ministry around the globe by satellite, we crisscrossed the country in a cramped sedan, holding Pentecostal revivals wherever we landed. From the humorous to the humiliating and horrific, Can I Get a Witness? pulls back the tent flap on my itinerant childhood, revealing all.

The Miracle Baby story – my story – is ultimately about breaking free of religious zealotry and discovering the healing power of forgiveness. Want to know where I am in the writing/submission/publishing process? I’ll be posting updates to Facebook, Twitter, and my blog.