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I was born and raised in New York, a childhood spanning the boroughs of Queens and Manhattan, and ultimately, Harlem, New York. I attended public school through High School and grew up an avid reader, developing a love of books and the stately buildings that contained them at an early age. I was in awe of the fact that I could visit the library within walking distance of my apartment and depart a short while later with a stack of books usually too heavy for me to transport independently without significant strain. My incentive to sustain the heavy weight for my walk home was the excitement and expectation of the many places I would be transported to, through the pages of the books.
Fantasy fiction and mysteries were my favorite genres as a child and my penchant for writing began with my father requiring me to read the more advanced literary selections of his choosing, and then write comprehensive essays about the content. While often mundane, this exercise fostered my appreciation for rich vocabulary words and descriptive text and also led to my reading at a very high level, at a young age. This practice also revealed that I could temporarily escape my truth through the pages of a book, and also create a new reality through the pen on the page.
I participated in a community theater group as an elementary school student and a Columbia University School of Law mock trial program in Junior High School. These extra-curricular activities inspired career exploration for me and by age 14, I aspired to be an attorney which spoke to my affinity for words and public speaking. To that end, I have practiced Employment Discrimination law for two decades, working in the media & entertainment industry for the last 13 years until 2021, where I provided advice and counsel to corporate leadership. However, writing and mentoring have remained what ignited and fueled my spirit.
My life mission is to encourage, inspire, and deliver truth that positively impacts and/or resonates change in at least one person, every single day.
Finally, I am a devoted wife of 28 years and mother to three amazing children ages 25, 19, and 16…and infinitely passionate about my family!
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
I started writing creatively in 2009 attempting to assuage an undeniable creative itch to write something other than corporate policy and emails chock full of legal advice. Initially, I began writing fantasy fiction at night, inspired by the genre I enjoyed the most throughout my adolescence. Unlike the stories I devoured as a child, my stories nurtured black and brown characters and neighborhoods in which I could see myself and children who looked like me. However, after spending years mentoring young law students and young women within my professional pursuits, I often heard that my inner-city beginnings were motivational. I realized I had a coming-of-age story in me that would speak to the human growth and character development that derives from a human being’s interaction to “hard knock” life challenges and strife.
THE G.I.F.T.S. JOURNEY was born from my long-held desire to share the truth of the impact that hard-lived experiences have on our lives. I want to encourage my readers to view their lives through a lens that honors the inner strengths that can be born from the loins of personal trauma, notwithstanding the damage the same trauma leaves behind. While the characters are fictional, the events are grounded in real-life experiences.
