I was eight years old when I first glimpsed the enduring power of writing. My third-grade teacher, the incomparable Ernestine Wright, read us The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I loved that book and wanted to write to Mr. Lewis to tell him so, only to find out that he had died three years before. Instead of being sad that there would be no more wonderful C.S. Lewis books, I was struck with awe at the thought that if you wrote really good books, you could touch people’s hearts and lives even after you were gone.

I spent my childhood and youth reading voraciously, journaling, and writing poetry. As I considered what to study in college, I didn’t think I had enough to say to be a published writer. I still wanted to touch people’s hearts and lives, though, so I majored in Psychology at Oral Roberts University, going on to earn a Master’s degree in Clinical/Applied Psychology from the University of Tulsa.

I worked briefly in that field until the birth of my first child, a preemie who required the majority of my time and attention in order to survive. It was this child who led me back to my dream of writing. Suddenly, I had a great deal to say. I wrote to comfort and encourage other mothers of premature babies and, to my awe and delight, American Baby Magazine published my articles! The best part of the experience was hearing, via letters and phone calls, from women who were indeed comforted and encouraged.

The babies kept coming (the rest of them full-term) until there were five of them. As we accompanied my soldier-husband wherever the Army sent him (except the war zones), homeschooling along the way, writing receded into the background. I journaled, wrote lesson plans, and read as much as my demanding life would allow (okay, okay–books were the main reason I was always behind in the housework–still is, truth be told).

In the fall of 2004, two important things happened. The last of my students transitioned to public school and my father passed away. I was grieving, alone in the house during the school day for the first time in twenty years. I thought a lot about funerals, grief, and all the elderly people who had influenced my life over the years. The result was the first of several stories about a bedridden Southern matriarch who solves mysteries~Grandma Ruth Doesn’t Go to Funerals. Writing it helped me to process my dad’s death. The humor that emerged in the stories gave me perspective and helped me to see past my loss to celebrate him and other elderly people I love and admire. The Grandma Ruth stories also celebrate the warmth and quirkiness of Southern culture which this Yankee came to love when the Army sent us to Fort Gordon, Georgia.

My mother, who has since joined my dad in Heaven, has also inspired my writing. Not only is she responsible for aiding and abetting my reading obsession, she also taught me to knit. In need of friends when we moved to Georgia, I joined the prayer shawl group at church. Knitting with these women in the cafe of a local health food store taught me a great deal about ministry, friendship, and listening to the heart of God.

This experience was the seed that grew into my debut novel, THE UNLIKELY YARN OF THE DRAGON LADY.  This book won the prestigious American Christian Fiction Writers 2017 Genesis Contest, a competition for unpublished fiction. I can now announce the happy news that this book is going to be published by Kregel Publications on September 21, 2021! . Stay tuned for news on the book’s progress, from a first look at the cover to when you’ll be able to order your copy!

In the meantime, let’s get to know each other. Read my blog, tell me what you think, send me pictures of the prayer shawls you’ve made so I can post them in the Gallery. I hope to hear from you soon!

Blessings,

Sharon