I was born in Guatemala and moved to the U.S. when I was an infant. We moved around a bit while I was in elementary school and lived in Louisiana, Texas, and New Jersey. When I was fourteen, I joined the LDS church.

I started writing my first novel my senior year of high school after I’d saved up to buy a brand new computer- a Mac Plus. I loved my computer! I graduated from high school in New Jersey and then joined my older sister at BYU. I graduated from BYU with a degree in American Studies.

I met my husband, Nolan, at BYU and we were married in 1994. I did almost no writing (other than the requisite college assignments) in college or during the first several years of my marriage. After I graduated, we moved to Ogden where he finished up his degree at Weber State.

During that time, I worked in Salt Lake running a foster care program for a non-profit organization, Centro de la Familia de Utah. I loved my job! Although it was heart-wrenching at times, it was a rewarding experience in which I learned so much. I think back on some of the children I met during those years and wonder how they are.

After Nolan graduated, I talked him into moving back to New Jersey. He’s always been a Yankees fan, so that sweetened the deal a bit. I enjoyed our time there especially because we had our first two boys there. During this time, I worked for a doctor that I had worked for all through high school. I also did no writing while in New Jersey. My Mac Plus had become obsolete by then and I couldn’t even access any of my documents.

When we moved to San Antonio, I stopped working for the first time since I got married. I think it was this that made it possible for me to start writing again. My mental energy was not being diffused at work anymore, so I was able to concentrate on creating stories. For two years straight, I wrote almost every night and finished several novels.

Trying to get published is not quite as fun as writing. After having three novels rejected by quite a few publishers, I finally received a contract with Cedar Fort. Star Shining Brightly is my first novel to be published. My second novel, Reasonable Doubt was just released in December 2007. I also have two other novels I am hoping to revise and half a dozen story ideas swirling around in my head. Currently, I substitute teach two days a week in our local school district and I love it. I’m fortunate to have wonderful parents who live nearby and watch my boys when I teach. It still leaves me with enough mental energy to write when I’m not too tired from keeping up with three fun and active boys.