If I were to look at my life, I would say that it has not been difficult. I am blessed with wonderful parents, a caring brother, and devoted children.

    I am surrounded with friends and recognized by more people than I can remember names. I have a home, a working car, and when I want it, an active social life.

    When I was younger, I had top scholarship in Fine Arts at Indiana University. In 1990, I escaped an abusive marriage and ran away to Florida to raise my children a block away from my parents and brother. I was a Project Manager at IBM until they fired me. I can no longer hold a pencil.

    In the process of losing my voice to multiple sclerosis, I found it. When I had difficulty organizing thoughts, I wrote my first novel, Kaleidoscope. The second, in edit, has a working title of Slideshow.

    My first nonfiction book, The Courage To Do It Again is the compilation of my newsletter which is sent to over 3,700 readers weekly. The second year is being edited into, The Courage To Do It Again II. And the third...

    My children's book, The Whose-its and Whats-its is a delightful story in couplets with the message of the value of differences. Written and illustrated by the author, it has been presented to hundreds of school children from kindergarten to fifth grade. Readings have received an enthusiastic reception from this most critical of audiences--they will not be bored, or you will lose them!

    A Written Life, my first book of poetry and short stories, is also in edit. Notable in that volume are the poems, "Celebration," which has gotten standing ovations and, "Old Woman," a lyrical reflection of life's loss. Both the poetry and the short stories are written to satisfy our deep longing for meaning.

    As president of the Tampa Writers Alliance, I write motivational pieces for the monthly Write Connections newsletter. For the past year, I have also written for TampaBayIn, and lately added Tierra Verde's, The Island Reporter. Keeps me busy...