I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, but have lived all over the country for my business career which was in both Training and Development and in Sales and Marketing.  Now I have retired and am writing, mostly fiction (finished my first novel and started the next) and non-fiction such as a family book I'm doing as a legacy project.  I have a son, Bryan, who is an adult now.  I live in Austin (the only liberal city in Texas and coincidentally, the only really pretty one) near Lake Travis.  I speak Italian fluently and still study it with private lessons.  My Tibetan Terrier, Oscar, keeps me hopping.  I was a super volunteer for President Obama, working as a special projects Field Coordinator and have remained active in politics since then.  I do my best to go to Italy every year for at least a month; this photo was taken on the Spanish Steps in Rome. 

How did you get to where you are now?

Work and study.  You can't beat them.  I also had great mentors along the way and people who helped me grow both personally and professionally.

How do you see yourself differently now than you did 10 years ago?

Older!  And, of course, wiser.  I have time for the things I've wanted to do but seemed too busy.  I would love to fudge and say I'm calmer but I am not.   

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Still writing.  I'm not sure I'll be in Austin but we'll see. 

Relax, everything is going to be fine.

My grandmother Edith who was a great lady in the truest sense of the word.  Eleanor Roosevelt who changed attitudes and was brave to speak out for social justice in her time, Hillary Clinton for her fortitude, and these days, it's difficult to beat Michelle Obama who overcame a stereotype people tried to foist on her and showed that she was a woman of substance to be admired.  All the great women who came before us and blazed the trail.