About
I have been a freelance writer since 1998. I am also a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Forest Service and have worked for the agency for 29 years. In the last 15 years, I've been able to combine my love of writing and biology and have published several natural history essays and articles in American Forests, Earth Island Journal, and The Wildlife Professional. I am currently working with the University of Utah Press to publish a collection of my natural history essays, with an estimated publication date of spring 2024.
Featured Work
The Marvelous Orange Tree
This is a novel set during the American Civil War. I wrote this book after finishing my memoir, Acoustic Shadows, which includes retracing the travels of my great-great-grandfather, who served in the Union Army from 1862 to 1865. The Marvelous Orange Tree follows the lives of two soldiers: Robert, who is serving in Ulysses Grant's Army of the Tennessee and one of the thousands of soldiers involved in the campaign to take Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Jennie, a tomboy from the Illinois prairie who dreams of doing her part in the conflict that will soon sweep up her two older brothers. Robert and Jennie's lives intersect in scenes of shocking battles, camp life, and enduring friendships, in northern and southern landscapes.
