Nice to meet you!

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I have worn many hats in my life: Licensed Daycare provider, Bakery Manager, Seamstress and Cake Decorator, to name a few. But alongside these jobs, writing has always been my passion.

I write poetry, picture books, and memoir pieces and love the challenge of bringing the reader so close they can feel the experience with all of their senses.

 

In 2021, I self-published my award-winning picture book, FOREVER HOME, with my daughter Erica Leigh, a professional illustrator. It was a challenging and rewarding experience. We have loved visiting schools and getting children of all ages excited about writing and illustration. I continue to write and submit picture book stories.

 

In 2023, attending Renee LaTullippe’s Lyrical Language Lab was a game-changer for me. Though I had dabbled in poetry, being immersed in it so intensely with Renee and Suzy Levinson lit a poetic fire in me. Most mornings, I am up early and have written a poem or two before breakfast! I have had poems published in several anthologies, and am working on 3 different poetry collections of my own.

 

The past two years, I have attended poetry retreats at Boyds Mills in Pennsylvania (formerly Highlights), being mentored by poets Charles Waters, Irene Latham, Lacresha Berry, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Margarita Engle, and Georgia Heard. Sitting side by side with up to 30 poets learning from each other was magical. I'm looking forward to attending "Poetry Palooza" at Boyds MIlls again this fall. 

 

This writing journey has been amazing, with the best thing being the friendship, encouragement and wisdom shared by my fellow Kid Lit writers.  What an amazing and generous group of people!