I grew up in the Texas Panhandle, left a number of times and lived in seven other states, but I'm back in my hometown now. From over two decades as a paramedic to becoming a registered nurse then a family nurse practitioner, I have enjoyed not only the technical aspects of medicine, but the heart-to-heart connections with patients throughout the years.

And I always loved writing. (Imagine how long my patient documentation is...)

In my last semester of nursing school, my first book, Blood of Like Souls, was published. Although I'd worked on that manuscript for more than sixteen years, I continued the story through the next four books over the next three years. Both the first and fourth books were named Finalist in the Indie Next Generation Book Awards. The fifth came out in October of 2020, while the world was dealing with COVID. The sixth released in June 2021. 

Now that's been a wild ride, hasn't it? COVID has made changes to medicine, not all of them good.  I'm still working in a rural health clinic, with ups and downs in COVID still.  And yet (looking for wood to knock on) I've not been a patient with it yet.  

I've recently taken up scuba diving, with a week-long trip to Cozumel.  If you dive, let me know where your favorite place to go it.  I'm thinking a live-aboard in the eastern Caribbean might be a good choice.  

Let's agree to be kind to others. Show a little respect, courtesy. Compassion. Empathy. Everyone could use a pleasant word, a cheer of encouragement, a nod of understanding after someone in the next car does something that we might have also done ten minutes previous. It probably wasn't personal. 

   If you don't feel you are making a difference, you probably aren't.