I am a freelance writer who lives and works in Chester County, Pennsylvania. I write articles, press releases and web site reviews. I also write for a wide range of clients including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Advance Magazine for Nurses, The Equine Journal, Delaware Valley Combined Training Association, The Art Times Journal, MD News, Delaware Hospice and U.S. Equestrian.
I have a BA from University of Central Florida and an M.A from Villanova, am certified as a Professional HR person and certified to train Developing Effective Interpersonal Relationships (the Effectiveness Institute in Redmond, Washington) and DDI’s Targeted Selection.
I also write fiction. I have a tween girls manuscript just about finished and two children’s stories that are finished. I have an outline for a book involving two boys and a box…. and I have too many story ideas and not enough finished manuscripts.
I am an avid gardener – starting my own seeds in the basement and growing everything from perennials like asparagus to tomatoes, peppers, green beans, peas, dried beans, eggplant, lettuce, spinach and onions and garlic. I also planted and now reap the benefits of blueberry bushes, raspberries, cherry, apple, fig and peach trees and thornless blackberries and am adding five new fruit trees to the mix this spring!.
I read, constantly. I love biographies, mysteries and general fiction. And I love to cook and eat oh, and I sew – can make tailored jackets and have made my own winter coats in the past…
I am happily married and live with my husband, my horse – Buzz — and two white, West Highland Terriers in the heart of horse country in Pennsylvania.
Write On Target 
I too am trying to write but find I procrastinate in the outdoors with so much to discover. So I keep a journal and the blogging helps and puts me in touch with so many interesting folk. Pennsylvania now seems closer and good luck with all your projects.
You are right, the allure of heading outside and just inhaling the moist, sweet smell of soil is hard to resist. I guess the fact that I get up at 4AM every morning helps with my writing – too dark to go out and browse the undergrowth. You never know what you might find!
In the last 24 months, I finished my organic gardening book – same name as my blog – Grow So Easy; Organic Gardening for the Rest of Us. It’s on Amazon Kindle and ePub. And I finished another novel – Blunderwoman and the Baby – but haven’t moved on getting it published yet. I haven’t felt like writing for about 2 months (other than blogging, of course) but just this morning I started jotting down a scene from another Blunderwoman novel (written for fifty-something, menopausal women who are “hot” but in flashes….) Keep on blogging, journaling and sharing, I love reading adventures like yours!
Sounds really interesting and I will look these up. Thanks!
I love LOVE that you graduated from UCF! I did the same and I have to admit, I’m having trouble getting a job with my degree. I graduated in May 2012 and have yet to get a position editing or in any way related to the publishing field. Any advice?
I think publishing is one of those fields where you have to start at the bottom AND you have to know somebody. And it’s a very broad field so you need to narrow your target a bit and figure out what bit of publishing you like the most. I’m also of the opinion that traditional publishing is now playing catch up with e-publishing. The lack of foresight on the part of the established, traditional publishing houses left a huge opportunity for companies like Amazon and Barnes and Noble, not to mention other, smaller publishers, to carve a huge chunk out of their businesses without even trying hard. If I were interested in publishing, now, I would look to the online world and if you know anything about online publishing, try to get some work at an old school publisher that is finally trying to move into the 21st century 13 years after it began.
What does gardening mean to you? I must say it keeps me sane. I treasure it and will miss the slugs when they are nowhere to be seen after the English rain!
I think sometimes that if I didn’t have garden, dirt to play in, plants to care for, I would go over the edge! I love the early, quiet time of day, the warm afternoon and the still of the evening….and I love my garden!
Hello! My name is Selina. I’m 25 years old and currently a stay-at-home mom. Recently I was told I had a serious development of arthritis setting in around my knee that has, with time, made being up and active very difficult for even short amounts of time. Long story short, my college pursuits have changed from the medical field to interest in transcribing here at home. I’m not sure how well I will do to begin with because I have no experience that area. Aside from regular typing for school, recreation, and random use I am not skilled in transcribing. However, I can type fast. I looked at FFT and thought, despite their sifting tendencies to get work produced to clients for a lower cost by using non-professionals, it might be a good place to start to get practice and experience. Further on I would have a better chance of landing a better employer. I would like to have your opinion on this if you had a few minutes to reply.
Looking back over my comment without proofreading it before submitting I’m noticing missing words… Perhaps I’m not cut out for it.
Hey Selina, sorry for the late reply – hubby has been sick. I say there’s no harm in trying! Because you are not familiar, you may not make the same assumptions I did which resulted in my less than stunning experience with Focus Forward. Anyone else want to weigh in?