As a graduate student, I worked on editing a book about folk art, Passing Time and Traditions, for the Iowa Arts Council. That was my introduction to writing about arts and crafts. I continued that interest as a staff writer for Better Homes and Gardens and Country Home. Then, I landed a position as Editor-in-Chief for the nation’s largest craft magazine, Country Handcrafts. Later, I was an editor for a new launch called McMagazine for McDonald’s Corp. writing the opening section, “Smart Stuff,” and “Kid Stuff” craft section. As a consultant, I wrote several craft books for publishing companies. One—Vintage to Vogue—was a fun fashion book putting a new spin on retro 1960s styles. When I became a publisher, two of my titles were in crafts: Bead & Button books and Miniatures magazine.

Crafts can be found in my novel, Blood to Rubies, too: the exquisite beading of the Nez Perce and the lace-making of an Irish immigrant girl. One of my main characters builds a dress-making business in San Francisco after getting her start tailoring for a brothel madam!