My family has always lived within sight of the Appalachians. I grew up in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, with a blue-collar viewpoint, surrounded by numerous siblings, cousins and other relatives, who shared hand-me-downs and grand stories in equal measure.
The kinds of people Iknow well, yet still learn from, populate my Literary Lite stories, written in the voice of my life experiences. I accumulated mine the hard way, as do my characters.
A few years ago, I moved to a semi-rural area of central Alabama, closer to the part of Appalachia that my grandparents and their parents called home. The windows near my writing desk overlook fast-growing water oaks, crooked mulberry trees, and dogwoods that fling white petals on the red clay and chirt earth to honor every spring's arrival. My best friend/husband of many years and I share it all with our two beautiful dog-children, who sometimes scoot over to let us sit on the best couch.
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R E S U M E
2009 Short Story Judge for Alabama Writers' Conclave annual contest. AWC Also served as a first reader for the Fifth Glass Woman Prize, choosing some of its prose semifinalists. Glass Woman
Interviewed by Moe, website diva, for Book-in-a-Week. 2008 Interview
Coach writers one-on-one via email and phone. Coaching Info
Lead workshops for groups, most recently at: Williams Intermediate School, Pell City, AL in 2008 Williams School and the 2007 Alabama Writers Conclave. 2007 Faculty
Former freelance book reviewer for the Birmingham News. Now review novels, short story collections, self-help books and software for writers.
In 2002, a CBS-TV affiliate featured me as an emerging novelist. TV Interview Article
To fill gaps in local and regional literary resources, founded two ongoing writers groups in Alabama. Since 1998, Smoke City Narrators has provided monthly critiques and other benefits for professional writers.
SCN's new Novel Pitch and 1st Five Pages Contest offers inspiration and encouragement for novelists on the process of querying agents or publishers in the form of feedback on entries.
The Pell City Pens welcome writers of all genres and skill levels to participate in its critique groups. Its contest features brief comments on entries, low entry fees for adults and a fee free division for students in 5th through 12th grades (approximate ages 10 - 17).
Starting in 2010, all contests for both groups will be open internationally.
*2007 SouthernArtistry.org Membership: Adjudicated Nomination by Alabama State Council on the Arts Portfolio
A W A R D S
*2010 Green River Writers (KY) - Green River Lean Contest: Flash Fiction GRW Winners *2010 Green River Writers (KY) - Bill Thomas Memorial Award: 6-word poem/story GRW
*2008 Faulkner-Wisdom Novel Competition: Semi-finalist Words & Music Arts Fest *2008 Green River Writers (KY) - President's Prize Short Fiction Contest GRW *2007 Women Who Write (KY) - Prose Contest WWW *2007 WritersWeekly - Winter 24-hour Contest Writers WeeklyWinter 2007 Winners
*2006 Augusta Arts Council (GA) - Porter Fleming Fiction Competition Morris Museum *2006 Green River Writers (KY)- President's Prize Short Fiction Contest GRW *2006 Byline Magazine - October Flash Fiction Contest Byline *2005 Alabama Writers Conclave - (Narrative) Nonfiction Contest AWC
*2004 Byline Magazine - 1st Chapter of a Novel Contest Byline *2004 Alabama Writers Conclave - Fiction with a Southern Background Contest AWC *2004 Augusta Arts Council (GA) - Porter Fleming Nonfiction Competition Westobou Festival
