My Italian grandmother read tea leaves, was psychic, and had healing hands. It is no wonder that I would have a recurring dream for twenty years that would predict the novel One Step From Death. A world traveler and detailed observer of life, my passion for writing stems from my own experiences that are deeply connected to the climatic moments of this book. Like my characters I too have suffered the cruel separation of being disinherited, the insanity of inbred selfishness, the loss and helplessness of premature death, and the insightful exposure to war ravaged countries where communism depletes the human spirit of hope and faith. This book is a part of me and its simple truth is clearly written as I honor the memory of two families, their resilience and their redemption.

My passion toward life was sparked by highly creative and influential parents, and a strong Italian, German, French, and English heritage. I was raised on original thinking and on stories from the past. Both my parents were talented writers, artists, musicians, and gourmet cooks. My mother spoke seven languages and my father ran the Edith Bush Theater in Minnesota, was a journalist with his own column in Florida, and wrote scripts for Bonanza besides being a brilliant idea man. My sister and closest confidant, Linda Joyce, is presently published with two books, The Day You Were Born and The Star Within, based on self-healing through astrology and numerology.

I grew up in an atmosphere of books, theatre, film, travel, international friends, art, music, and hours at the dinner table where conversation enlightened my mind, stirred my imagination, and allowed a young girl to dream. I was encouraged to pursue my talents and I did with individuality and high moral standards in an artistic and creative world that held few boundaries. I became a model, an actress, professionally groomed and trained with famous stars like Jaclyn Bisset in the New Talent School at Twentieth Century Fox, enjoyed breaking ground as Arizona’s first female weather broadcaster for KZAZ, a channel owned by Danny Thomas, was challenged physically and mentally as Arizona’s state fencing champion, won Miss Tucson for the Miss America Pageant, became the first independent to win Best Dressed Girl on Campus at the University of Arizona, sponsored by Glamour Magazine, flew internationally out of Kennedy Airport in New York as an air hostess for Pan American Airlines, became an elementary school teacher in Tucson, Arizona with an MA degree, and worked with high risk students under the influence of gangs and drugs. After I married Jim and had two sons, Nicholas and Paul, strong friendships in Mexico turned us to a part time agricultural career. Not only did we grow garlic we exported it along with raisins from Sonora, Mexico. During this time my world opened to the rawness of a peasant’s existence, the crudeness of their tools, and the clever ways they used the land and discarded materials to sustain themselves. Their humble origins and modest pretensions toward fighting their lower social and political rank only furthered my understanding of what I would later write about in One Step From Death.