About Me

I'm an Islander, born and bred. While I love visiting other parts of the country, I just can't imagine living anywhere else. About an hour by express train from the artistic/cultural capital of New York City and an hour by car from the remote, sun-soaked beaches of the East End, I feel so blessed to be exactly where I am.  

After college, I spent two years teaching high school English before beginning a publishing career in Manhattan. While my children were young, I left Corporate America and earned an MFA in writing at Stony Brook Southampton. Since then I've provided freelance services and have taught English undergraduate courses online and at the local community college. 

Although the vast majority of my work is contemporary, I'm most enamored with historical fiction. My MFA thesis, The Devil's Belt, imagines the lives of Long Islanders living under the boot heel of British occupation during the American Revolution. It's told through the viewpoints of a neurodiverse physician, the crafty female apothecary with whom he partners, and a violent British captain who will do anything to maintain his hold over her. These uncommon viewpoints reveal the complicated situation on Long Island during this time, challenging the erroneous notion that the area was "mostly Tory." I currently seek representation for the completed novel manuscript.

I'm also working on my next novel manuscript, a tale told from the viewpoint of Rebecca Greensmith--my 11th great grandmother--who was accused and imprisoned for the crime of witchcraft during the Hartford Witch Panic of 1662.  A 350+-year-old ghost whose anger threatens to ignite global calamities, Rebecca reviews the circumstances that led her to become the witch the Puritan authorities accused her of being.  The title is in flux, but I'm leaning toward The Witch of November. I hope to have the first draft completed by the end of the year. 

When I'm not writing, I'm either volunteering for one of the many lineage groups to which I belong or exploring sites like Family Search for more information about other compelling characters I've found hiding up there in my family tree. I'm also always reading. My favorite books are Lincoln in the Bardo, Hamnet and The Lovely Bones. More recently I've enjoyed Orchid Child, Hester, The Lost Apothecary, and Philippa Gregory's Fairmile series. I also love Alice Hoffman's ethereal prose and recommend all her books. 

Connect with me on social media if you'd like to compare book notes or just say hello!