About Me

Photo of Karen

I was born in Ohio, worked my way to a Bachelor of Science from Kent State University and studied art and psychology at San Diego State University.  For years I hiked and backpacked all over Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and California, and finally settled in Tucson, Arizona.

As a child abuse survivor who was once depressed and suicidal, with the aid of friends, therapy, risk and challenge, I now live life to the fullest!

I hope my stories encourage readers of their own amazing potential regardless of what may have occurred in the past.

Dad thought I’d never leave Ohio for Colorado . . . alone. Then move to California? Backpack through Central America? Four-wheel drive with only my cat throughout Alaska?

You can do anything you put your mind to.

I write about people who struggle to find their place in the world and learn to thrive!

Normal is dull.

Karen mounted on a Texas longhorn
East Texas where my novel takes place, and this critter was quite friendly.

What do I read?

A lot. My favorite is historical fiction about people struggling in a world created with lots of excellent research because I want to know what it was like to live in the past, and I am never finished learning.

Barbara Kingsolver’s latest, Demon Copperhead, was breathtaking!

Just a few of my favorite authors are Barbara Kingsolver, Mary Doria Russell, Robert Olmstead, and Molly Gloss.

My tuxedo cat, Dickens with my laptop, open to my novel on Scrivener.
Dickens and my laptop open to my novel on Scrivener.

My tuxedo cat buddy, Dickens, is my helper and muse.

I followed my heart and went for experiences every chance I got and created chances when they didn’t appear.

I am a member of:

I can be found at:

Critique Circle
Critique Circle

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6 thoughts on “About Me”

  1. Hi Karen,

    You have been on my mind a lot lately, so I “googled” you and what a surprise! You have become an author!

    The real reason I am writing is that over the years, whenever a person is in my thoughts very strongly, it usually means they are thinking of me, about to contact me, or worse, have something going wrong in their lives. I hope it is just the former.

    I mentioned to Gail, my wife, the other day that you have been on my mind very strongly lately, and she said,” you better call her”

    Drop me aline and, hopefully tell me all ois OK with you and your husband.

    Clem

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  2. Hi Karen,

    Thanks for sharing your blog. Really like what you’re doing. You’ve inspired me to start one of my own. I’ll probably go through a few fits and restarts before I’m satisfied. Takes away valuable writing time but I guess if you’re going to write you might as well keep up a public image.

    Let me know if you have any hard-earned nuggets of knowledge to share!

    Your CC friend,
    Jim

    Reply ↓

    • I learned a tremendous amount about Social Media and writers’ platforms at the Tucson Festival of Books a couple weeks ago. I suggest you get Kristen Lamb’s book, Rise of the Machines. It should be every writer’s bible for social media and selling your writing. Main suggestion for your blog: Do not blog about writing. Writing only speaks to writers, and you want to speak to readers, which is why I am busy changing my blog. You want to blog about universals, like pets, food, and the universals you write about in your novels. There are plenty of other blogs about writing, and I’ll keep sharing those on my blog, as well as try to make it entertaining. What universals do you like to read about?

      Reply ↓

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