my writing
Ever since I was a little girl, I had a pen in my hand and notebook in my lap. After a lengthy sojourn due to the rigors of academia, I returned to the world of storytelling in 2017. Now, I'm always working on my next project, whether it's a novel, short story, or essay. Keep reading to learn more about my work.
novels
My long form fiction tends to focus on stories from the real world. I love to research real life people and write about the untold stories of the past. As a result, both of my novels are historical fiction and women's literature.
A Sisterhood on Fire
(2022)
On the Kentucky frontier in 1821, a trio of impassioned Catholic nuns live in harmony in their vowed community. They belong to the Sisters of Loretto, and for almost a decade, these Sisters have educated young women with little help from the male authorities in their diocese. But when a domineering priest desires to install new papal edicts from Rome, the entire Loretto way of life is threatened. Alternating close narrators Mary, Isabella, and Helen face their own struggles with issues related to slavery and male authority, issues that would soon after divide the whole nation. Can their faith quench the fire of disobedience glowing within them, or will these women scorch the past in order to forge an uncertain future?
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War Frau
(2019)
WAR FRAU draws upon true events to shed light on the hunger, disease, displacement, rape, and insanity that average German women experienced during and after World War II. This epic story follows two German sisters, Ilse and Ursula, and the extended Sauer family in the opening days of the war. Tragedy and struggle plague them personally just as their country itself is toiling through the devastation of a terrible war of its own design that will ultimately bring decades of ruin upon all of its citizens, regardless of their personal stake. The story is one of female persistence—of fighting for survival and carrying out everyday heroic acts that are too often unsung.
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nonfiction
Because of my academic background, I love to write creative nonfiction, especially essays. But I often adopt a snappy Millennial voice or emotional tone when I'm exploring these cultural oddities or personal stories.
I Miss My Nintendo
(2021)
Whenever I remind my Millennial friends of all the different technological gadgets we had as children, it becomes an epic conversation about how lucky we were to grow up when we did.
Read more to learn how our technology was so unique
A Diamond is for Suckers
(2020)
I'm married but don't have an engagement ring. I never wanted one. Apparently, that makes me a weirdo, even in today's modern, empowered world.
Do you agree with my argument? Keep reading to see if you do.
Things That Linger
(2019)
This is the story of the weirdest day of my life. When I was twenty, two of my close friends died on the same day, but they were from totally different worlds and died in totally different places.
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Questions of Travel
(2019)
A meditation on the paradox of travel as it relates to age. The basic premise is this: when we're young, we take risks but cannot understand the meaning behind an experience in a new place, and when we're older, we are better able to process meaning but no longer take the same travel risks. Confused?
Read the essay. It'll all make sense.
A New Breed of Millennial Woman
(2018)
A reflection on the bond between Millennial women and their dogs. Whoever still says "man's best friend" obviously hasn't met a dog mom before.
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Bloody Food Family
(2018)
The story of how I learned to cook—from an unorthodox family of young Millennial hippies where blood and music were both must-haves in the kitchen.
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short fiction
Like in my novels, I explore everyday events and celebrate the quiet moments of human existence. But my short stories tend to take place in more contemporary settings.
Hit Me Where It Hurts (2022)
Teenager Leo lives in a working class neighborhood on the south side of St. Louis, and he is an orphan. On a hot summer day, everything in his life is about to change, but will it be for better or for worse?
A Memory To Be Ashamed Of
(2021)
After a night of heavy drinking, accusations of promiscuity fly against a girl who cannot remember what happened. A version of the past intertwines with a shaky present as she tries desperately to piece together what she did or did not do.
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Mountain Men Don't Get Haircuts
(2019)
An adventurous little boy tries his aunt’s patience as he karate chops trees, chases raccoons, and refuses to have his hair cut. But in the end, he reveals the vulnerable side beneath his rambunctious ways.
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The Paper Clip
(2019)
A middle-school girl is in awe of her pot-smoking friends who don’t seem to care what others think of them. After an experiment-gone-wrong in history class, she decides to test her limits and try something new for the first time.
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