Hello!
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My home is Bay Village, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, where I live with my husband, two children (now young adults), and a Yorkipoo named Bobo. My path to becoming an author was a little unconventional, so if you'd like to read more about it...
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Okay, I'm dating myself here, but way back in 1990 I went to college to study finance and eventually got my MBA. Growing up in a house where money (or I should say lack of) was a constant source of chaos, I was determined to eliminate that worry and climb the corporate ladder. And, I did that for 7 years, even getting married to my high school sweetheart somewhere in-between. See, I was a planner and at 28 years old, everything was going according to plan. But, as all moms know, having a baby changes everything.
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Do not believe the Pampers commercials people! Swaddling your baby in the softest and most absorbent diapers will not make them sleep through the night. When you have a colicky baby, you may actually have to resort to 3:00am car rides while singing "Hush Little Baby" through your tears of despair.
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That time in my life was insane, and not just because I was overwhelmed with the challenges of balancing motherhood and a career, but because life throws you curve balls that you can’t always predict. Experiencing all kinds of strange & scary symptoms, I just knew something wasn’t right physically.
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I went to countless doctors until they finally figured out I had multiple sclerosis.
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The diagnosis completely changed my perspective on just about everything. We decided to buy a smaller house and simplify our lives. I decided to hold off going back to work and stay home with the kids. And a few years later, when my nights became mine again, I began binge-reading (I had always preferred books to tv.) Unexpectedly, an idea for my own story popped into my head and I thought, "I should write my own novel." I mean, how hard could it be?
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Hard. Very, very hard. I had no idea what I was getting myself into! But, after a lot of self-doubt and procrastination, Hope for Garbage eventually came to be. Those of you who have read it already know it is filled with the message of hope - things will get better. I try to remember this in my own life and it is not easy.
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Every day MS seems to challenge me a little more. When I published Hope for Garbage in 2014, I had already had MS for 10 years but my only 'external' symptom was a slight limp. By 2020, when I published The Lake Never Tells, I was using a brace, a cane, & sometimes a wheelchair. I also might mention that I gradually lost all function in my left hand so TLNT was written completely with the one-handed-hunt-and-peck method on the keyboard. However, I can also remember typing school papers on a Smith-Corona electric typewriter - so perspective, I guess?
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I do know that if it wasn’t for this crappy disease, I am 99% sure I wouldn't have chosen the path I did. And I definitely wouldn't have tried to write a novel...or two...or three. Writing has been both fulfilling and therapeutic - little bits & pieces of my own life experiences are sprinkled into my stories.
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If you get a chance to read any of my books, I’d love to hear what you think! If you have questions or comments about anything – please fill out the form below. I always respond in a day or two.
I am working on a fourth novel, so please check back for updates!
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Alex