I am first a grandmother then a Southern writer, raised and steeped in the traditions of the deep South. I returned to college at the age of 44, a challenge which certainly changed my life. I fell in love with words and will never recover from that addiction. My favorite authors are Thomas Wolfe, Ernest Hemingway, Albert Camus, and Friedrich Nietzsche. I enjoy study of the paranormal and deep human emotions. Writing for me is a way of knowing. My doctorate is in 20th Century American Literature, but my interests range far and wide. Taking the lead from T.S. Eliot, I steal from those who have come before. Plato and Milton as well as many others are often my literary playmates. I had an imaginary friend when I was four years old, so perhaps I never recovered. I once heard a professor say that for every book one writes, he or she must read 1000 others. This holds true for me. The writers we study become a part of who we are if we are paying attention, and I hope my antennas are tuned to the proper channels. When I’m not reading or writing, I enjoy growing orchids, watching birds, and cooking for my family.