I'm 36, married to my high school sweet heart, and I have four kids. Writing is my passion and, as an author, I get to achieve my dreams every day. My life kinda rocks the socks :) I first realized my passion for writing at the age of 14, when I set out to write my first book. I wrote the entire thing by hand (hand cramps galore!) and finished it at 16. Once it was typed up, the cover hand illustrated by yours truly, I sent it out to several different publishers with high hopes. I was more than a little crest fallen when I received replies that turned me down, or no replies at all. Somehow no one wanted to take a chance on an inexperienced teen aged writer...go figure. ;) But I didn't give up. It wasn't until I lost the vast number of 'manuscripts in progress' during a cross country move, that I nearly gave up on my writing dreams. I refused to write for years, until my sister and her husband somehow got a hold of my first teen aged manuscript. After reading it, they both poked and prodded until I caved and agreed to start writing again. While it began with me writing simply to appease them, that quickly changed. I'd found my passion for writing once more. I've learned from past mistakes, my writing has matured and taken on new depth. (Something that I hope it continues to do throughout my journey in writing.) Life has a funny way of always working out in the end. It pulls us along with the tide and somehow makes us stronger in the process. 'Edge of Instinct' is my debut novel, in what I hope to be a long writing career.