About Me

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My literary taste runs the gamut from Shakespeare, Poe, and Austen, to Elizabeth Lowell, Toni Morrison, and Jo Nesbo. Though I often read tales that plumb the inner demons of tortured souls, I prefer to write lighter books that my readers can have fun with.

Growing up, my sister and I lived next door to three French girls, who were like sisters to us. It was our friendship that gave me the idea of writing a book series about a group of five girls, plus the wonderful time I spent in Santa Barbara in my 20s.

Set in Santa Barbara, the Cota Club books tell the stories of each of the five friends and reflect the genres that fit each of the characters. That’s why Kristi’s story in Love and Money is a mystery, whereas Carla’s story in The Offering is romantic suspense. Tate’s story in Love and Hate is a thriller. I don’t know yet about Izzy’s, but Gwen’s will turn to the world of the supernatural.

Pragmatism in The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

Santiago, more often identified as "the boy" in The Alchemist decides to live his life like a pragmatist.

“As he mused about these things [loss of his possessions], he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure. ‘I’m an adventurer, looking for treasure,’ he said to himself... He no longer had to seek out food and water for the sheep; he could go in search of his treasure, instead. He had not a cent in his pocket, but he had faith. He had decided, the night before, that he would be as much of an adventurer as the ones he had admired in books.” (pp 44-45).

The boy follows his destiny as he defines it for himself, and Coelho rewards him in the end with gold. Like Pragmatism, a philosophy born in the Americas, The Alchemist is a fable I think that also could only be told by someone from the Americas, despite its being set in old Spain and old North Africa.