EDUCATION
M.F.A., Creative Writing, Mills College, Oakland, California (2003)
Mystery Writer's Conference, Book Passage, Corte Madera, California (2003)

M.S., University of California, Los Angeles (1973)
B.S., Hunter College Bellevue School of Nursing, New York City, New York (1971)

MEMBERSHIP
Mystery Writers of America
Sisters in Crime
Left Coast Writers Group

I grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in an Irish community known as Minooka. In the sixth grade at Saint John's School, I wrote and directed a one-act Christmas play, performed by my classmates. That was the extent of my young writing career. I became a registered nurse and worked in that profession for many years. Some of the nursing procedures I wrote have been published by Mosby.

My childhood dream of writing stories never died. Finally, I enrolled at Mills College in the Creative Writing Program. My goal was to write well, to write entertaining, informative novels.

Watch your horses. The gypsies are coming.

My first novel, Whisper Singing, is set in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Where better to start than home? The main character, Bree McNamara, is an Irish Traveller. When researching for Whisper Singing, I read an article from an 1880's Northeastern Pennsylvania newspaper. It warned residents—Be careful, watch your horses, the gypsies are coming. I really don't know if the gypsies referred to were Roma or Irish. But prejudice is prejudice and I decided to include Irish Travellers in my book.  I have corresponded with several Travellers and am grateful to them for their generosity, their truthfulness.

Each book in the Bree McNamara Series will take the reader to a different place. In Shattered Traditions, Bree goes to New York City and within hours finds the bodies of two young sex workers. Subsequent novels will be set in Los Angeles, Dublin, and maybe even Paris. Why not?

I live with my husband, Ron, and our beloved Cocker Spaniel, Emma, in Northern California. I've been fortunate to receive incredible support from my husband, friends, family, and other authors, cheerleaders, to whom I am immensely grateful.