Personal and Professional Background
I grew up in Tullahoma, Tennessee where I enjoyed living on a farm, attending school, horseback riding (when possible swimming them across lakes and rivers), and biking. As a teen, I kept books for my father who was in the construction business, and also helped him in the field building houses and operating heavy equipment. One summer I worked as a bulldozer operator, another summer I worked dismantling historic homes to salvage vintage brick and artisan wood to sell for school money.
Enrolled in the pre-vet program at the University of Tennessee, but when I was not accepted to vet school (few women were at the time), my attention turned instead to journalism; and I enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University in their Communication Program. I married, divorced, worked and went to school during this time while raising my daughter. Eventually, job and travel took me to Texas where I attended Texas Woman’s University and received my degree in English with a minor in history (lots of classes in dance and French as well). I graduated magna cum laude. After graduating I wrote for mainstream magazines then took a position at the University of North Texas Office of Public Affairs where I started as an editor and worked my way up to editor-in-chief for several of their publications in less than two years. I joined Denton Writer’s League where I served as vice-president, then president of that organization for three years. On weekends I spent my time writing and editing for a variety of companies and individuals, and horseback riding whenever possible with my friends.
As my work gained recognition I began to teach creative writing classes at local colleges and universities and started a business as a freelance editor, editing papers for local college professors, professional work papers, and books for individuals and private corporations. During this time I met and married my current husband, and together we started a business and launched Close Quarter Combat Magazine that went on to sell in all major bookstores and in 26 countries by subscription. Together we created and produced more than 250 videos and more than 30 books both fiction and non-fiction in multiple genres. As time went on, we began to produce books and videos for others also in a variety of genres. Many of these books won awards in their respective fields.
In 2016 I took a position as an editorial services manager for The Society of Petroleum Engineers and stepped back from my active role in Lauric Enterprises, Inc. yet retained ownership of the company. In 2021 I left SPE and resumed my oversight role at Lauric and became a consulting editor for Schlumberger.
Over the years I’ve traveled extensively for work and pleasure. I’ve worked in the UK, France, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Mexico and New Zealand. International travel has given me an appreciation for other countries and cultures as well as a deep appreciation of our own country. I have many favorite places, but probably my most favorite place in the world, other than home, is Collingwood Beach on Jervis Bay in Australia.
