I’ve been a reader and a writer as long as I can remember. A quintessential bookworm, I was the kid who begged to do a book report instead of an experiment when the annual science fair rolled around. My favorite time of year was when the bookmobile visited our school. I can still picture myself inside the trailer, gazing wide-eyed at all of the selections on display. So many books, so little time…When I became a mom, volunteering at my daughters’ schools for the annual book fair was like Christmas to me, and I was probably the only parent who looked forward to the Scholastic Book Clubs’ newsletters being sent home with the same enthusiasm as one would feel when finding a tax refund check in their mailbox.

As I moved into my teenage years, magazines became my obsession. (I had a letter to the editor published in Teen Magazine one year and thought my journalistic ticket was written!) Each fall,
I eagerly anticipated Seventeen’s back-to-school issue and begged my mom for all the cool clothes featured inside. So it came as no surprise that after pounding the pavement for years as a freelancer, I became a magazine editor, working at Lehigh Valley Marketplace and Lehigh Valley Good Taste for several years.

Shortly after the events of 9/11, I founded a neighborhood book club to foster a sense of community after the tragedy that rocked our nation. My years of experience as a book club facilitator have given me the opportunity to talk with a variety of authors including Adriana Trigiani, Lynda Cohen Loigman, and Ben Sherwood (who went on to become the president of Disney-ABC Television) to name just a few. My article, “Seven Tips for a Successful Book Club,” placed in the Top 100 in the Magazine Feature Article category in the 2011 Writer’s Digest’s Writing Competition.

Since then, I’ve also worked in fundraising and development, raising money for organizations such as Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York, and Chadwick Residence, a women’s transitional housing facility in Syracuse, New York. I was also instrumental in developing a community presentation titled "Confronting the Opioid Epidemic" which was presented as a panel discussion in the Finger Lakes region of New York and was received with much success.

I hosted and produced the podcast “Bloom Where You Are Planted,” speaking with people who had experienced trying times and come out strong on the other side, as well as experts who gave advice on how to be the best versions of ourselves when life got in the way during the pandemic. My one-year podcast anniversary guest was none other than media icon Joan Lunden!

In 2021, the lifelong learner in me went back to school to obtain a certificate in Wellness Counseling from Cornell University and as a result, I began doing mini-retreats and women’s wellness programs, incorporating journaling and meditation techniques that I found helpful to me during stressful times.

I currently offer two workshops for both in-person and virtual presentations: Mindfulness and Meditation for Caregivers and Cultivating Emotional Resilience: A Journaling Workshop. (More info can be found on the Work With Me page.)

But no matter what other paths I pursued, I always returned to my first loves: reading, writing and editing.

I launched the Bloom Where You Are Planted wellness newsletter in late 2023 and in 2025 the Substack newsletter, The Reading Life. In this newsletter I share inspiration and life observations based on what I’ve been reading.

I currently offer editing and proofreading services for clients looking to polish up their manuscripts prior to publication. (See the Work With Me page.)

In 2021, I stepped into one of the most rewarding roles of my life: being a grandmother. I now have two grandchildren and it’s already apparent that they will grow to love books and reading as much as I have. I feel truly blessed to be able to balance the creative work that I do while also being an inspiration to these two amazing little ones.

I hope you’ll explore my website to learn more about me, the projects I enjoy and take pride in, and the services I offer.

Thanks for visiting!

My podcasting skills came in handy in January 2020 when I had the opportunity to "Be the Boss" on Sirius XM’s “E Street Radio,” the Bruce Springsteen channel.
I filled out their DJ show outline, which included a request for five Springsteen songs: one of which I had to claim as my favorite--which, as any loyal fan knows,
is nearly impossible--as well as the story behind my favorite song, what my favorite concert memory was, and how I got hooked on "The Boss." I recorded the song breaks, submitted the info in late December of 2019 and forgot about it over the holidays. Shortly after the New Year, I received an email that my application had been approved. What a great way to start off 2020! Is moonlighting as a DJ in my future? Absolutely not. But was it fun? Hell, yes!