I grew up in Germany and have worked as an elementary school teacher and librarian in American international schools in Egypt, Chile, Oman and India. After living in India for eight years my husband and I returned to the US in the summer of 2011. After nine years in North Carolina, we moved to Germany in the fall of 2020.

I like to travel to new places and to learn about different cultures. Of course, I read a lot of children’s books, but I also make time for adult literature, mostly historical fiction. If I’m not reading or writing, I love to bake, cook and hike.

When we lived in India, my husband and I adopted an Indian street dog. We called him Frank and you can read more about him here.

Hint: Scroll over my pictures to discover some fun facts about me...

In 1996, I taught a second grade class at a German school in Cairo. The class consisted of 26 Egyptian girls. It was loud, but fun.

This is my children's passport with a photo of me when I was two years old.

When I lived in Cairo I liked riding horseback near the pyramids.

In 2001, I entered the Ionia Free Fair Baking Contest with my Nectarine-Upside-Down Cake and won a red ribbon for second place.

This is me when I was eight months old, on my grandmother's lap.

This is the sunset view from our cabin in Michigan. My husband and I spend part of our summer vacations there. The cabin is on an island in the Ste. Marie's river where large ore boats pass by on their way to Lake Superior.

I took this photo in Jodhpur, a big city in the Indian desert state of Rajasthan. Notice that the Monika Tea Center is actually a sari shop!

My husband and I were married by the captain of the ferry boat that connects Neebish Island, MI with the mainland.