I’m a Licensed Clinical Counselor, with a masters degree, but I choose not use my degree. In 2013 I quit my job, working with foster kids and families, to stay at home with my 2 kids. That decision is one of my better ones to date.

In addition to my education in counseling, I am certified through EAGALA to provide Equestrian Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP). That training, and subsequent work using horses to help kids heal, is partially where my inspiration for Shy’s story began. Watching children, and families, gain insight into their own behaviors through the horses has been an amazing process. I should mention that I’m not currently using this certification either. I like to gather information, training, titles, but I’m not big on utilizing my new skills.

I started reading, for fun, around 2007. I thank Harry Potter for showing me that escaping in a book is the best therapy. Since that time, I have read more than 500 books. This is one thing I have stayed committed to. I prefer audio books, since I can fold clothes and read at the same time, but I usually have a kindle book I’m reading simultaneously.

I decided to write my own novel when I realized there are not enough books in the New Adult genre. This is my favorite genre, thanks to Colleen Hoover and Jamie McGuire. Once I started writing Shy’s story, I couldn’t have stopped if I wanted to. Sometimes she would wake me in the middle of the night to tell me what the next chapter was about. Writing her story, as well as her horse’s-Walker, was an emotional adventure. I hope you enjoy reading her story, as much as I enjoyed writing it.