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About me

I have been a creative soul for as long as I can remember. From drawing, coloring and making up stories as a child to writing and teaching as an adult, I have constantly searched for new ways to nurture and express that creativity.

The written word has always been my medium of choice—whether it be crafting just the right lede for a news article, bringing the characters in my head to life for a work of short fiction, or tweaking a press release to make the prose sparkle. Even my love of calligraphy comes from my love of the written word.

Professionally, I’ve been a reporter, a high school teacher, an adjunct professor, and an administrative assistant. Personally, I am an editor, calligrapher, filker, actor, and cosplayer.

I write and perform music with my husband Rand as Via Bella, and we’ve been nominated for three Pegasus Awards

Please browse my site to learn more about me and my experience. Thank you for visiting.


fiction is a series of choices: interview with seanan mcguire

Seanan McGuire (pronounced SHAWN-in) is a literary force to be reckoned with.

She is the author of the  October Daye urban fantasies, the  InCryptid urban fantasies, and several other works both stand-alone and in trilogies or duologies….


show, don’t tell

Anyone who’s ever written a short story or taken a freshman composition course has heard the words “show, don’t tell.”

I know those words can be frustrating. You might not know exactly what “show, don’t tell” means. Or you might believe that you are showing when you’re really telling…


Submit to Me!A quick guide to help you avoid annoying editors

In addition to my editing here at Toasted Cheese, I also recently took on a freelance editing job for an e-book publisher. As a result, I read many query letters, cover letters, and synopses (as well as stories and novels) from first-time writers.

When trying to get published, it’s best to be sure that you don’t do things that annoy, vex, or otherwise irritate the editors you’re hoping will publish your work…





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