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I never wanted to be anything
but a writer. As a kid, while my older sister was burrowed
under the covers reading Nancy Drew by flashlight, I was
across the room, burrowed under my own blankets, making up
stories. Once I carved a poem on the back of a Ouija board. My
mother was not amused.
We had an ordinary life in West
Springfield, MA. I had a grandfather who was an engineer on
the railroad 末 resulting in my lifelong love of trains 末 and
a grandmother who smelled of lavender. I had an uncle who
smoked cigars and another who had big tattoos and another who
wrote the date he bought shoes on the outside of the shoebox.
I had an aunt who made awesome chocolate cake and spaghetti
and meatballs and another who, when I was sick, arrived with a
bag filled with goodies like coloring books and paper dolls
and paper chains to cut out.
Every autumn my mother made
baked beans in our garage for the church tent at the Eastern
States Exposition 末 now known as the Big E, New England's
Great State Fair. It was also in the fall that my father and I
had our special routine of going out for walks after dinner
and looking in living room windows of people who'd turned on
their lights but had not yet pulled their drapes. I made up
stories about their lives and he patiently, patiently
listened.
Life in a small town had its
moments of fun. Somehow, I managed to grow up. I did not,
however, complete my bachelor's degree until age 49, when I
graduated from Skidmore in Saratoga Springs, New York. It was
a very exciting day 末 my cousin, Linda was there, and my
friend, Carol and my friend, Cindy who'd come all the way from
Florida. Even my sister and her husband drove out from Maine.
And Kathy末 from my brief University of Pittsburgh days 末 was
there. Someday I'll get my Master's. In between books eleven
and fifteen, maybe!
My "bio" wouldn't be
complete without mention of the advertising agency I owned for
fifteen years before writing full time. It was through the
business that I met a most influential person in my life 末
Olympic gold medal gymnast and current NBC gymnastics
commentator, Tim Daggett.
I hired Tim to speak at the
annual meeting of one of my clients; I mentioned I would love
to write his book if he ever wanted to do one. The result was
Dare to Dream 末 a wonderful autobiography that I co-authored
with this incredibly motivated guy. Thanks, Tim, for passing
some of that spirit on to me.
And thanks to all my family
and friends for being so supportive (and for putting up with
me), and to Miss Carroll 末 my small town, ninth grade English
teacher 末 who told me to Write, Write, Write and never stop. |
