In Search of Heroes: Bio in Pics

What have I done?

Raised a family-- A large one,

My kids-years ago

extended
by biological and other means.
Lived in eight states, visited 46.
Got a degree in Geography-- minor in Anthropology.
Been a Cartographer.
Sold auto parts.
Been a Family Planning Counselor.
Worked in a fabric store.
Expert knitter and seamstress.
Been an advocate for Domestic
Violence victims.
Had a career in Social Work with troubled children.

Three Penny Opera, SMU 19(OnceUopnaTime)

Neuschwanstein, Bavaria 1989

Tried a bit of acting - musical role in Three Penny Opera. (That was at SMU. They said our voices were "too pretty" for the part, but they made us do it anyway... And we obviously had no historical sense of shoes).

Hiking out of Crater Lake

Rafting on the Deschutes
Salmon Fishing
Ape Caves, Mt St Helens
with grown kids

Lady Washington on the Columbia River
from Lynx

Toured Germany, Austria and Switzerland with my husband, daughter, son-in-law and grandson #3. Rothenburg ap-der-Tauber, Frankfurt, Munich, Salzburg, its castle, Berchtesgaden and The Eagle's Nest...lots more.
Been fishing.
Exploring.
White-water rafting.
And hiked in dozens of places. That's Crater Lake, above.

Been to sea (okay, okay, it was the Columbia River)
in a few tall ships, the brig Lady Washington,
the privateer Lynx,
and the ketch Hawaiian Chieftain.
(That's Lady Washington, viewed from Lynx, coming to port.)

Even been aboard the frigate HMS Surprise, in San Diego Harbor.
(The replica ship built for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.)

Then my life changed.

I started writing books.
Quit social work.

Shakespeare's birthplace Stratford-Upon-Avon
with son Andrew

Toured England with my son Andy and friend Margo. I'll do a whole travel blog on that.

Won three Golden Hearts.

Published my first book in 2000.

Met a lot of writing friends.

Wet Noodle Posse- Golden Heart finalists 2003

Rose City Romance Writers at RWA national 2004

Jeff and Delle, Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Wrote more,
published more.
Won a bunch of awards.

Book signings, conferences
new contracts--I'm especially happy with my contract with Montlake Romance and with my indie publishing, both of which keep my books on the shelves forever.

I'm sorry to say, my beloved husband Jeff passed away in January, 2013, and I'm now re-making my life-- managing pretty well, but not at all ready to let go, or ever forget. I'm still keeping these photos below of some of our precious times together:

Hawaii 2001

some time in the ancient past

The Mediterranean cruise in 2008 was especially memorable. We've had a lot of great dinners all over the world and seen a lot of wonderful places.

He will always be my One True Hero.