I’ve always been fascinated by my heritage.  My family’s lineage seemed to be a source of great pride for both my mother and father.  As a child, I remember the stories my mother and grandmother used to tell about me lineage, in particular, the story of the 1813 Massacre of Fort Mims.  A few years ago, I began a journey researching our family lore, discovering something surprising.  Not only did the stories I heard as a child go hand in hand with the accepted historical event of the massacre, but historians consistently stated that no one knew the whereabouts of my kinfolks at the time of the attack or their fate afterward. In my debut novel, Red Tears, I tell the story of the events leading up to the Fort Mims Massacre through the eyes of my fifth great-grandmother, Prudence Mims and her harrowing escape from the bloodiest massacre in the frontier history of the United States.

Earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M Kingsville in 1983, I was one of the first few women who graduated from the College of Engineering.  I never considered myself a trailblazer, but the longer I work in the Engineering world and in particular the Energy Industry the more I realize that there are few women around me with the same level of experience as me. 

I love my work and consider myself a nerd.  I enjoy my work designing and building pipelines, oil production facilities, refineries and chemical plants in the Gulf Coast region.  As a Project Engineer, I have over thirty years of experience in writing highly technical documents like reports, specification, and procedures, and proud to bring a “woman’s touch” to this world. 

Most of the time the things I write, though important, are rarely read cover to cover.  I am excited about making the transition into historical literature.  I must say it is very gratifying to know that I have finally written something that is entertaining to read.  There is a joke among engineers that goes:

The pessimist sees the glass as half empty.  The optimist sees the glass as half full.  The engineer has performed calculations that determined that the volume of the vessel is approximately twice as large as required for the application.

I am delighted to see the glass half full!