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, I was the first to volunteer at my daughters’ schools for the annual book fair and probably the only person who looked forward to the Scholastic Book Clubs’ newsletters being sent home with the same enthusiasm as one would 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 magazines 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 rocked our nation. I’ve been a book club facilitator ever since and have had 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 worked in fundraising and development, raising money for organizations such as Chadwick Residence (a women’s transitional housing facility in Syracuse, NY) and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York. I hosted 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 gets in the way.
My guests included Lesley Jane Seymour (former editor of More, Marie Claire and Redbook magazines), Camp Reinvention co-founders Dana Hilmer and Wendy Perrotti, and fellow podcast host and author Kate Hanley. Media icon Joan Lunden was my one-year anniversary guest!

During the pandemic, 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 into my programs, which I love doing.
My latest program is “Mindfulness and Meditation for Caregivers.” (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” quarterly wellness newsletter in late 2023. In it, I share “wellness wisdom,” book recommendations, favorite products and more. I’m currently doing developmental editing and copyediting for clients, working with them to polish up their manuscripts prior to publication.

In 2021, I stepped into one of the most rewarding roles of my life: being a grandmother. It’s already apparent that my granddaughter will grow to love books and reading as much as I have and for that,
I feel truly blessed. We welcomed a second grandchild—a boy—into our lives in late 2023.

I hope you’ll explore my website to learn more about me, my podcast, and the professional services
I have to 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!