I grew up in South Carolina and have lived and worked in the coastal region with my husband for over 30 years. I started writing in the mid-1990s when I woke up from a dream that was so vivid that I felt as if it was real. I got out of bed–more like threw back the covers–stole one of my daughters’ spiral notebooks and wrote down the entire scene as it played out in my head. It was almost like watching television, but from the inside out. But with no formal training in creative writing, and a family to raise, the learning curve took years.
I’m Polish, so I’m used to doing things bass-ackwards. I’m also stubborn and let’s add a control freak as the cherry on top. (Just ask my family!) I soon discovered that I loved what I refer to as spike history – everything I could learn about a time span, usually 5 years or less, in a very localized setting. I have spent uncounted research hours scouring through many coastal libraries, as well as touring numerous plantations and historic sites collecting data. I went on low-level flights in a Piper Cherokee over the Waccamaw and Santee River Basins in order to view the layout of the rice fields, which are still visible from the air. Huzzah!!!
After many years, I did not give up on my stories, and they, for whatever reason, did not give up on me. I am not trying to change the world. My novels do not have a deep and profound meaning, but they do carry the message of not giving up, no matter what happens. I guess, in essence, I just want my stories to provide light entertainment and a short escape from the day-to-day existence that we all get caught up in.
My husband and I have raised a family of three girls and all have obtained college degrees. With a mutual love of history, we still plan family trips with our daughters to Colonial Williamsburg and attend historic events dressed in period clothing. The only baby left at home is May, a black Lab mix, who has quickly become spoiled rotten.
In my spare time, I enjoy working on large and small projects in a type of faux stained glass. (A gallery of the largest ones may be seen on my Facebook page.) I also love to cook, especially Southern comfort foods, and have recently started collecting orchids. Some bloom, some haven’t yet, but they all like the muggy summer heat more than me!
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