I'm Texas born, and have lived here my entire life. Although I've been around a while and have silver "highlights" in my hair, I’ve never truly grown up. (Just ask anyone who knows me!)

 

The history of this great state has always intrigued me, and that’s why all of my stories are based in Texas. I think my past experiences gave me insight into what I write about – I’ve lived in small towns and on farms, and spent many a summer on ranches where my grandfather worked. Growing up, horses and history were two of my passions, and living away from cities nurtured my creative side.

 

We raised just about any type of animal known – or at least it felt like it. Horses, cows, pigs (ugh!), chickens, rabbits, goats (did you know they can climb trees?), just to name a few. I felt like Old MacDonald. Still, I wouldn’t have traded a moment of it for anything.

 

Some of my past experiences include flipping hamburgers at a fast food restaurant, stocking a grocery store, playing "cowboy" with longhorns and buffalo (while working one summer at a State Park south of Abilene - those critters stink!), dispatching burglar & fire alarms and remotely programming alarm systems. I've driven a garbage truck, cleaned swimming pools, and mowed more grass than I care to remember.

 

I've been interested in books and storytelling since I was a child. One of my favorite memories is sitting by my grandfather and listening to him tell stories about working in the oil fields and of working most of his life on a ranch. When I was a bit older, I would rewrite the endings to television shows, or come up with my own "episodes" altogether. Little did I know that my imagination would one day lead me to where I am now.

 

Getting up the nerve to post my writing to the Internet in 1998 brought me more than I could have ever hoped for. I was contacted by a publisher in 1999, and I met my future wife, Jan, when she wrote me about one of my Lex & Amanda stories. On September 12, 2003, we stood before friends and family in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and became legally married. It was one of the greatest moments of my life.

 

It's been one heck of a ride so far, and it's no where near over. I'm extremely thankful for the blessings in my life, and I can't wait to see what the future holds. -- Carrie