Biography
I am a schoolteacher by profession and taught school for thirty-seven years. I retired in June 2012 so that I could write full time.
I grew up in Raymond, Alberta, and attended the University of Lethbridge after graduating from high school and serving a two-year LDS mission to Japan. During university, I met and married Marsha Smith, and we are the parents of four children, which has grown to include their spouses and our ten grandchildren.
I have always loved to write. I started writing stories before I was old enough to realize I was writing stories. It seemed a natural thing to pick up a pencil and paper and create a world simply by using words—worlds of adventure in steaming jungles (Tarzan was an early influence on me) or realms of adventure in outer space (Buck Rogers). But as I have grown older, I have discovered that the real inspiration for me is exploring the theme of love and how it can make such a difference in the world.
I’ve had an article published in Lethbridge Magazine and have written several dramatic plays, two of which won provincial recognition and were showcased at a drama festival. I won the CJOC radio songwriting contest two years running, and have had one of my songs receive international airplay. I have written four novels intended for the juvenile market, but my main focus now is writing novels intended for the adult readers' market.
THE ANNIVERSARY WALTZ was published in May 2012. It is the story of Adam and Elizabeth Carlson's courtship, set in northern Montana at the end of World War II. THE RETURN OF CASSANDRA TODD was released in February 2013. It is set in modern day Denver, and is the story of Cassandra's desperate flight from her abusive husband, and the timely assistance she receives from Turner. I am currently working on my third novel, FOLLOWING RAIN, which deals with the saving power of truth and love.
I grew up in Raymond, Alberta, and attended the University of Lethbridge after graduating from high school and serving a two-year LDS mission to Japan. During university, I met and married Marsha Smith, and we are the parents of four children, which has grown to include their spouses and our ten grandchildren.
I have always loved to write. I started writing stories before I was old enough to realize I was writing stories. It seemed a natural thing to pick up a pencil and paper and create a world simply by using words—worlds of adventure in steaming jungles (Tarzan was an early influence on me) or realms of adventure in outer space (Buck Rogers). But as I have grown older, I have discovered that the real inspiration for me is exploring the theme of love and how it can make such a difference in the world.
I’ve had an article published in Lethbridge Magazine and have written several dramatic plays, two of which won provincial recognition and were showcased at a drama festival. I won the CJOC radio songwriting contest two years running, and have had one of my songs receive international airplay. I have written four novels intended for the juvenile market, but my main focus now is writing novels intended for the adult readers' market.
THE ANNIVERSARY WALTZ was published in May 2012. It is the story of Adam and Elizabeth Carlson's courtship, set in northern Montana at the end of World War II. THE RETURN OF CASSANDRA TODD was released in February 2013. It is set in modern day Denver, and is the story of Cassandra's desperate flight from her abusive husband, and the timely assistance she receives from Turner. I am currently working on my third novel, FOLLOWING RAIN, which deals with the saving power of truth and love.
