I grew up on a farm, and my first job was helping my Dad plant and harvest crops. I still get to work with him driving the combine, tractor and various large farm implements. It is one of the most enjoyable  jobs I've ever had because I get to see my family daily and listen to many audio books. Besides working with Dad and at Inklings, I am a professional photographer.  I take portraits and scenic pictures. and I graduated from the Photographic Center Northwest in Seattle. I can usually be found with a camera in hand. But if I'm not taking pictures, I'm reading.

 

Favorite Books:

• Sevenwaters Trilogy and all books by Juliet Marillier
• Constant Princess, The Queen's Fool and all the others by Philippa Gregory 
• Shogun by James Clavell
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
• Helen of Troy by Margaret George
• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
• Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Well, every story should begin with "Once Upon a Time" so that's how I'll begin.

Once upon a time, two women of vastly different ages, but related by marriage and common interest, started playing a verbal game nearly every time they were together.   It went something like this:  "If I ever had a bookstore of my own, I would have cozy chairs and a fireplace".  "If I ever had a bookstore of my own, I'd want to have story time for kids."  If I ever had a bookstore of my own, I would definitely include a coffee shop.".  After months of these lively conversations over coffee, or across the pinochle table, one day my husband asked the inevitable question:  "Are you going to talk about this forever or are you going to do it"?  Until that moment, all the talk had seemed only talk, but his question made us realize that we already had a good mental business plan in place.