When I was nine-years-old, my family moved from the beautiful state of Oregon, to the foreign land of Eastern Montana. Alright, so maybe its not “foreign” but in my child-like mind, it seemed anything but “home”, “beautiful”, or “exciting”. I had gone from having a HUGE extended family, a great circle of friends, a nice house, and room to roam in the Oregon forests, to a rental home in Billings, MT with no friends, no nearby relatives, and a lack of expectations for the future. My brothers became (and still are!) my greatest companions as we navigated the next chapter of our lives.
My parents bought 20 acres and built a log-home that we lived in until I was a Junior in high school. Though I would have NEVER admitted it at the time, that period- that simple, rural upbringing, was fundamentally the BEST possible scenario for my imagination to thrive. You see, we didn’t have much in the form of money, toys, or sources of entertainment- so we made it up! My brothers and I wandered the countryside pretending to be Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, cowboys, archaeologists, explorers- you name it.
Another way I occupied my time, was with books from the library. From an early age, I had always loved stories- especially ones including different cultures or magical elements. My Dad, an avid reader himself, introduced me to historical fiction and Fantasy early on (my two favorite genres to this day!). Together we read, the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, the Belgariad series by David Eddings. By 7th Grade, I was reading Eye of the World (Book 1 of The Wheel of Time) by the late, great Robert Jordan. By high school, I was reading anything by Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind, and by college, I read Brandon Sanderson and George R.R. Martin. My love for Fantasy influenced my aspiration to travel- to observe and appreciate the wonder and beauty of peoples unlike myself, to identify and learn about more historical/political themes, and to search for the good in others.
My obsession with reading was an escape-yes, but it grew beyond that. Stories became a part of me.
Epic tales are what fuel me, motivate me, and impact my teaching and parenting. We can learn so much from stories- fiction AND non-fiction. The universal good vs. evil themes, or the idea of overcoming great obstacles, perseverance, hope, faith, honesty, integrity, love, standing up for others, courage- there are boundless themes that shape us and impact our lives.
So, here I am a 32-year-old woman in Billings, MT publishing my first novel, Nav’Aria: The Marked Heir (Adult Fantasy). That confused, bitter, hurt kid would have never guessed that through that move- that simple country life- would have led her to this particular moment in adulthood when she was THANKFUL to have grown up in rural Montana, where her imagination roamed across the wild prairies of the Big Sky State