I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, have lived in East Cleveland since 1993 and I write. My most recent online articles have primarily related to health and wellness. In addition, I have written presentations for prominent physicians who conducted them at national medical conferences.

I'll post information about my two new children's books on this site when they're published in 2012. I'm very excited about them both.

Meanwhile, you can learn about my critically acclaimed middle grade novel Taneesha Never Disparaging on this site's home page..Or just click this cover.

After high school, I pursued an acting career by majoring in Theater at Ithaca College and moving from Cleveland to New York City. While on that journey, I landed a show in Basel, Switzerland. I acted throughout the 1980s then took a new path in 1991.

That's when I enrolled in City College of New York majoring in Education. I graduated in 1995 from Cleveland State University with a BS in Education. Right after graduation, while six months pregnant with my first daughter, my writing career started with American Greetings (AG) hiring me as a greeting card writer. I was the first African-American AG staff card writer in their then 75-year history. While there, in addition to writing cards, I edited calendar booklets and created promotional copy for a few ornaments. I also helped found a new card line and earned two AG Creative Excellence awards.

In 2002, I left corporate America for freelance world and stayed here.

I founded Forest Hill Publishing, LLC in 2003. Right now, FHP only considers proposal submissions from self-publishers. Read about the company and browse its books here.

I began reporting on local news and writing human interest stories for the Greater University Circle Neighborhood Voice (NV) newspaper in 2010. The following year, I became a front-age columnist for the paper as well. Taking photographs to accompany my NV stories stoked my interest in photojournalism.

I've been married to the same man since 1992 and we have three adolescents–girl, boy, girl. I have four adult stepchildren as well. Three of them have started their own beautiful families.

Since 1987, I've chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as a Nichiren Buddhist.

I wrote a post on this site about bipolar disorder because I have it. If you do too, know someone who does, or you struggle with depression, you might find my post helpful.

To keep from sitting at the computer for hours, I write standing at a desk I assembled for that purpose inside my attic studio, which has a skylight. Sunlight shines through it, but I can only see the sun itself from my window.

That's it for my basic "about me" information. Now here's the story behind this park bench photo I took just before New Year's Day 2011.

This is the view from the crest of Forest Hill in East Cleveland, December 26, 2011. It was crisp but sunny out and not yet freezing. The sunshine pulled me and my camera to the park. The next day it snowed.

Forest Hill Park is one of my favorite places to walk or bicycle. I brought my children here to play when they were younger. Because they are less than two years apart in age, for a time, this meant I carried one on my back and pushed two in the stroller. I was so glad when they could finally all ride their bikes as fast as I could, Now they ride and walk faster me. I wish they could stay young. But I also want them to fly wherever their dreams take them.

Just behind the bench pictured here sat the mansion of John D. Rockefeller, the world's first billionaire. Unfortunately, he lost his beloved wife, and his home, in a fire. After that, he moved to New York state. But he loved Cleveland so much his will stipulated that he be buried in Lake View Cemetery, which is directly behind my house. My kids and I often hop the chain-link fence to take walks back there.

The horizon line in this photo is where Lake Erie and Canada meet. For a closer look, click on the photo.