I grew up in Juneau, Alaska, in a house filled with music and books. When I left high school, I attended Antioch College, traveled and worked around the country, studied at colleges in San Diego, lived in Greece, and ultimately settled back in Juneau. My husband, Jim Fowler, is a landscape painter (www.jimfowler.us) and book illustrator (six of my books plus Jean Rogers' The Secret Moose, Wayne Grover's Dolphin Adventure, Dolphin Treasure, and Dolphin Freedom, a reissue of the 1960 classic Benny's Flag, by Phyllis Krasilovsky, First Salmon by Roxane Salonen, and due for release in April 2011, Patsy Ann of Alaska by Tricia Brown. We have two grown daughters and two grandchildren.

When I look at my published works, I see how many of them are about connections - friends, family. I also realize that while most of my books aren't specific to Alaska, the fact that I have lived most of my life close to the natural world informs my perspective on life. The rhythms of nature, changes in season, weather, the relationships between things, are all frequent themes.

The links on my "My Works" page and the "Book Titles" section tell a little of the personal story behind the books. For review quotes, see the "My Works" page.

I am available to do school and library visits. Please e-mail me about scheduling and rates.