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I am a mother, writer, student, and so much more . . .

I began writing around the age of 10 or so, starting with poetry and moving on to short stories by high school. In my mid-teens I actually tried song lyrics, but I never really did much with them and the experiment lasted less than 6 months. I entered college right after high school and my writing became a victim of a busy life, even after I left the junior college. While it was never completely out of my life, it did not enjoy the same dedication that I had given it before entering college..

When I finally returned to college, 10 years after leaving, I first attained an A.A. in Early Childhood Studies, then went into the 4 year university as a creative writing major. I enjoyed my writing classes, but didn't really totally rediscover my love for story telling (other than as a game mistress) until I took an 18 month leave of absence for health reasons. At the time I was trying to build a web design business, but it was my writing that seemed to captivate my friends. I opened Visions of Mind, a personal ezine for my stories. Its following was small, but faithful until I closed it down the following year. I was ready to take my writing beyond a personal hobby and into the realm of a professional writer.

By the time I returned to the university, I had finally decided to take my writing seriously. This decision was confirmed when my writing instructor offered, without prompting, to write a referral letter for me should I decide to enter a masters program. I received a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from California State University San Bernardino, graduating with honors (a GPA of 3.5 or higher) in the fall of 2003.

I write primarily fantasy, mostly in my world of Alden. But I am also dabbling in fantasy/science fiction combinations, sometimes with a touch of horror added, and have started a new experiment in a mix of fiction with nonfiction in the women's writing genre, as well as soft SF, mainstream, mystery and a few other genres. Poetry has become a form I seldom indulge in, and only when so utterly depressed that it is the only way I can find to express myself.

I have 4 children from my first marriage (ranging in age from 8 to 16 years old), three girls and one multi-differently abled boy, and I am happily married to my beloved Saxykam. We live in southern California with a dog and two cats.

I also help manage a writer's online workshop, Dreaming In Ink Writers Workshop and have an "official" author's site, alden.nu which I hope one day will have more than just my dreams on it. ;) I also have a reading clique call A Year of Reading, my pathetic attempt at encouraging people to read. And I also run the TFL approved fan listing for BookCrossing, In the Wild.

You'll find a lot of romance on here because, for some reason, I had quite a bit more than I expected (or should have) and I'm getting rid of most of it.


Works published:
Poetry:
"One Son," DII Flash & Poetry (3/03)
"Allergic to Morning," DII Flash & Poetry (3/04)

Flash:
"No Connection," DII Flash & Poetry (3/03)
"Faithful," DII Flash & Poetry (12/03)

Shorts:
"In The Blood," Worlds of Wonder: A Webzine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (4/04)
"Into Stone," COSMIC Speculative Fiction (4/04)
"Presence," Dragons, Knights, & Angels (10/05)
"Intended," Lyrica: A Webzine of Romantic Fiction (12/05)

Articles:
"Rebuilding After Rejection," The Business of Writing (7/03)
"Submitting Your Book: Elements of the Novel Proposal Package," The Business of Writing (1/04)

Syndicated
"Metawriting," Worlds of Wonder: A Webzine of Fantasy & SF, July 2005
"Metawriting," Lyrica: A Webzine of Romantic Fiction beginning February 2005

updated 03.2006