I live in northern Vermont in a place known as the Kingdom. Born and raised in southeastern Colorado, I moved here after marrying and have raised two children with my cheesemaker husband on our family farm. I have always loved writing, but find myself rationing my time to write. I have been a student, a criminal court advocate for victims of violence, a bookkeeper, and a cheesemaker. For the past eighteen years, I have been a mother and the wife of an entrepreneur, first and foremost, only rarely finding time to wrangle words. I write about everything and anything that inspires me. I’ve published one book so far (there are more in the works), a memoir, a coming-of-age story of my birth and childhood in a fundamentalist, highly restrictive religious group. I left when I was seventeen, and subsequently contributed to the group's complete dismantling. It is the only story I know of in which the kids who were born and raised in the cult were the instruments of its demise. The E-book is available on Apple Books and Amazon; the paperback is also available on Amazon or to order from your local bookstore.
The past is truly past, and rather than reliving it, I observe it. My life has long been far from where it began, and that place has, gratefully, faded to nothing more than a faint echo, reverberating and fragmenting, stranger than fiction, fiction brought to life only through the reviving magic of my pen. The power to kill that past or to enshrine it for the future is power that lay deliciously at my feet, and I chose to preserve the story. Because some stories shouldn’t be allowed to fade into the oblivion of whitewashed lore.
As of October 2024, I am no longer publishing on Substack. I am done being a needle in a haystack, done vying for likes and follows and validation from the faceless void of the internet.
I do continue to write. It is my truest self. You will find all of my future work here under the Books and Essays tab. For those of you on social media, please share as much as you’d like. We have found ourselves in a world where it is one of the few ways to connect with an audience, and while I may lament that fact, I’m painfully aware of it. I understand that time is precious, and I appreciate the moments my readers choose to spend with me.
I am one tiny voice in the din, but I’ve only ever hoped to inspire humanity and courage. I am an “unknown,” and publishing here may limit my impact, but this format is far more authentic to my intentions.
And with that, feel free to scroll, comment, and share as you are inspired. And, thank you.