I grew up in a small town on the beautiful South Dakota prairies. My dad was a cattle rancher, inheriting the ranch from his father. As a child, I loved to read. I remember as an adolescent checking out armfuls of Nancy Drew mysteries from our little public library every Saturday while my mother got her hair fixed. I’d take them home, devour them either in my bedroom or outside on a grassy pasture somewhere, and then be back for more books the next week. Soon I moved on to other wonderful literature. One time, however, I recall checking out a rather raunchy paperback romance that made even me (a dreamy young teen) roll my eyes. I told my mother, “Even I could write better than this!” She simply said, “Why don’t you?” I took the challenge! I would take my dog and cat on long walks up into the prairie hills, then pull a notebook and pen out of my backpack and let the adventures flow.

In 1985 I graduated from St. Olaf College with a B.A. in English Education and a concentration in writing. My husband Steve and I got married that same summer, remaining in Minnesota ever since. Over the years we raised five children—one daughter and four sons—but the pace of family life did not give me much writing time.

From the beginning of our marriage, Steve and I have always been active in the local church, serving in various way. But in 1997 we took a big step and joined a church plant team. In 2001, Steve became the senior pastor of that church. Then I discovered that the pace of ministry life did not give me much writing time either! So rather than live in frustration, I laid my writing before the Lord and gave it to him. I truly died to it.

Then one day when the kids were all grown, I started getting prophetic words from different people about writing. People would tell me they saw me at a writing desk. And I turned to the Lord with a big question, “What on earth would I write about?” So I began to earnestly ask God what I could write that would give him glory. Out of that came a “seed” thought—and from that seed sprouted Keeping Kyla.

I have always liked fiction where an ordinary girl unwittingly steps into a mystery. In my fiction, I want to couple that with helping my characters identify lies they may have believed about God and combat those lies with biblical truth. Over the years I have experienced firsthand the freedom of a healed heart, and my passion is to help women grow deeper in the love of God and knowledge of him as their very personal and caring Father.

My hobbies include thrift shopping, reading, traveling, visiting historical museums, and spending time with my twelve delightful grandchildren.

I would love to hear from you! Contact me!