I grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where sweetness filled the air whenever Quaker Oats was making Cap'n Crunchberries. As a kid, I hoped to become Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, or girl Doogie Howser. I soon learned medical procedures are like craft projects, with vital implications. I've never been good at crafts.

Healthcare management was a better fit, keeping me in the health arena but outside the procedure room. It's a field that can involve a lot of writing, and it always needs to be clear and true.

These days, I’m writing fiction—and it still needs to be clear and true. But now, I get to make it all up.

Along the way, I’ve realized Dr. Quinn (Jane Seymour) and Doogie (Neil Patrick Harris) aren't doctors—they're storytellers. So maybe I’m on the right track.

I attended Luther College and the University of Michigan, and have degrees in psychology and public health. I live with my kids (one baseballer, one artist, one diva) and partner (a surgeon who is good at crafts) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When I'm not writing, I'm usually on my bike, making amateur music, or trying to hide vegetables inside baked goods.