Chris, my husband of 29 years, and I live in a cabin in the woods near the beautiful Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Northwest. Bailey, our chocolate Labrador retriever, is our beloved companion now that our two sons are grown.

Both boys live nearby and we see a lot of them. We've converted their old 'bunkhouse' into a writing studio for me and a guest area/billiards room for friends and family who are always welcome. We recently gave my writing studio (still suffering from its past as a teenage boy's bedroom with carpeting the color of mud) a facelift. Now it's all mine and quite divine, which is great since I spend a lot of time up here.

In the last few years I've been given a real gift: my adorable granddaughter, Anika. She's 2 1/2 and always brings a smile to my face. There's nothing better than cuddling up with her and reading her favorite book, which happens to be The Little Blue Engine right now. She loves it when I do the train voices, and she can do a pretty mean imitation of the wornout old train that's too tired, "I cannot...I cannot...I cannot." It's a line that can come in handy for a two year old who wants to be obstinate. Not that my darling granddaughter would be obstinate!

Chris and I enjoy camping as often as we can. We started with 'tent camping' when the boys were young (and we were younger too). Then we upgraded to pull trailers, and finally to our fully equiped RV, which allows us an enjoyable way to experience nature without roughing it too much. Hey, a girl needs her comforts!

We also love biking, hiking and skiing and we're fortunate to live in an area that's great for both downhill and cross-country skiing. Sometimes when the snow is just right (like last Christmas) we can cross-country ski right out our door and into the woods. I'm also an avid gardener, which is a serious challenge in a climate where we've seen snowflakes fly on the Fourth of July, or where deer think that an unlocked gate into my courtyard garden means that the "salad bar" is open. But we do enjoy the wildlife, including the variety of birds, rabbits, and squirrels. Okay, I'm not crazy about the racoons who sometimes think it's open season in my fish ponds, but I've learned not to stock expensive fish.

Reading has been a lifelong passion. I started out with Little House on the Prairie books and then Anne of Green Gables. Some of my favorite grownup authors are Elizabeth Berg, Ann Tyler, Rosamunde Pilcher, Maeve Binchy. In fact, it was some of their stories that first inspired me to write nearly fifteen years ago.

My life is very full and I stay pretty busy with a packed writing schedule. But I'm grateful for the work I get to do everyday and it never seems to get old as I sit in front of my computer and tell the stories in my heart.