"I am a native Oregonian who writes about the American West. In addition to my self-published novel, Brute Heart, articles I have written have appeared in the Small Farmer's Journal and Horsefly and I won third place in a Trazzler writing contest this summer. I also received a Writer's Digest honorable mention for my poem, "A Bar Stool's Lament." To support and improve my craft, I volunteer for "The Nature of Words," an annual Bend, Oregon literary event celebrating young writers and established authors. I have attended workshops led by authors Jane Kirkpatrick, Sherman Alexie, Molly Gloss, Hallie Ephron, Bob Dugoni and others, and belong to a local writing group, The High Desert Sojourners. I hope my novel will entertain you and perhaps even help someone in an abusive relationship or living with an alcoholic. But please don't assume Brute Heart focuses solely on human suffering. In its pages you will also find many humorous anecdotes and heart-warming animal stories. Based on my own experience, life is like that--part suffering, part joy, and thank God we have friends, family and laughter to sustain us."