Me in Snowy
Cleveland
I was born in West Virginia, but moved to Cleveland, Ohio, with my parents and my brother Roger. I was two months old at the time and slept in an open dresser drawer my first night in Cleveland.
I grew up on Ardmore Avenue and had friends who were Italian, Syrian, Polish, German, and Irish. What a great neighborhood!
My Brother and Me
The idea for my book, The Best Bet Gazette, sprang from a neighborhood newspaper my friends and I wrote in my garage.
One day in the 6th grade I wrote in my notebook, “I know what I want to be when I grow up – a writer!”
Our Neighborhood
Newspaper
Off to the Library
While attending James Ford Rhodes High School, a teacher complimented me on something I wrote. She asked to keep it to show her friends. (Little things like that can light a fire under would-be writers!) Another teacher, Mr. Lawrence, sparked my interest in history. He was so enthusiastic about early America and the founding fathers. His love of history was contagious!
Werner and Me
My Kids - Lisa, Stephen,
Amy and Kathy
My Kids Give Me Ideas
I earned a MA degree in Education at Northern Kentucky University and taught writing classes at NKU, as well as Language Arts at South Dearborn High School in Indiana. For several years, I served as a substitute teacher in elementary and middle schools in Kenton County, Kentucky. Of course, my favorite activity as a substitute was pulling a good book from the shelves and reading it to the kids.
When I was a child, I guess I thought all writers lived on clouds somewhere. One of the fun things about being a writer is the opportunity it gives me to visit schools and talk to children about my books. They discover that writers are just like them.
Visiting Ockerman School
My Dog, the Future
Brutus the Wonder Poodle
I enjoy fiction, but lately I’ve been writing more nonfiction. I always loved school, and writing nonfiction is sort of like being a student all over again. It is so much fun to learn about the people, places, and historical events that I write about.
Of course, there are other perks to the writing life. I get to work at home and don't have to get up early and drive through ice and snow. I can work in my pajamas. And best of all, I can eat cookies while I work.