I was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.  After completing a Ph.D. in Renaissance poetry, I took a position at Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia.  When I completed an M.F.A. in Poetry Writing, I began writing historical poetry.

Seven books of poems later, I’ve turned my scholarly interests in Tudor England to fiction.  Everything has now come together, and in The Cross and the Crown series, I can finally bring Tudor England to life.  When I began researching the fates of nuns under Henry VIII, I didn’t imagine that the record would be so scattered . . . and that it would take an act of imagination to bring these women to life!

I teach writing and literature at Mary Baldwin University, where I am Professor of English.  Please visit the online admissions page at http://marybaldwin.edu/online-distance-admissions/ if you’re interested in signing up for an online course with me!

When I’m not researching, teaching, or working on my next book, I spend my time traveling, gardening, cooking, and watching the birds—and sometimes bears—that visit my yard in Virginia.