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Welcome to My Little Valentine!

My new book Mountains of True Peace is now available!

I hope you will enjoy this website and the information about my books. I never ever dreamed I would write a book and to now have five completed is amazing. I started writing my first book in 2014 shortly after finding my grandmother’s letters she had written to my mother over 13 years they had together. Learning all the fascinating information, I shared these things I discovered with my friend and coworker Margaret Heisserer. She said to me I had to document this information for my family if nothing else. Thus, the book My Little Valentine was created.

I have been so fortunate to have met some wonderful people after writing my books. It has been a true blessing to me. Now I have started this new series about my experience living and working in Guatemala. I hope you enjoy all my books and thank you for reading.


Johnny’s Life Story

Johnny’s Story is Chapter 6 in More Voices of The Willows about John Thurmond’s early life. It only covers up through John’s life to when he became a Merchant Marine and got married at the age of 17. There is much more to his story that he shared. The rest of John’s story is just as fascinating and you can read “Johny’s Life” by clicking on the link below.


Check out the new film Unintended by Colleen Bradford Krantz.

An investigative journalist digs up century-old tales of unplanned pregnancies outside of marriage, confronting the price of shame as described by the couples’ descendants. She takes the readers along during the limited series – in an over-the-shoulder-of-the-journalist style reminiscent of Serial – and discovers that not everyone is ready to acknowledge their ancestors’ pasts, even 100 years later. First episode was released May 1, 2020 at Vimeo on Demand, followed by two more on June 1 (includes The Willows) and July 1, 2020.


Old Film from The Willows

I have a surprise for all those who spent time at The Willows. My friend Anita, who shared Anita’s Story in Mansion on a Hill, has a film her father Dr. J. P. Free made in 1949. It was a 16 mm film and I was able to get it converted to a digital format. It shows Anita’s parents picking her up at The Willows. It’s just one minute in length but fun to see the outside of the building. The smile on the faces shows the joy of having their new baby girl. At the same time, it is sad to realize the heartache the girls felt, like my grandma, having to leave behind their baby. Click on the link below to see the video.