As a teenager, I crafted a homemade full-page saddle-stitched publication, hand-drawn and typed on an old typewriter by my aunt, which I printed using our church's black-and-white printer. It began as the church's newsletter but quickly evolved to something I wanted to share with the public. Through that newsletter, I became a writer.

I displayed it at a local restaurant in a magazine stand. The articles encouraged positive thinking and spirituality. It eventually evolved into a half-page color-printed publication that I called "The Vision Magazine." I displayed it at a grocery store. I produced it at home after acquiring my first computer. Both publications were so popular that I couldn't keep the racks stocked! These were the first of many publications I've distributed over the years.
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In the early 2000s, I began writing for blogs like Salon.com and then found my niche in the self-help genre. I created and designed my own website and found a love for digital design. Self-taught, I delved into the world of digital creation. These experiences combined inspired my debut novel, "Held Hostage". It started as a therapeutic memoir, but I wasn't motivated to finish the novel, and it sat dormant on my computer for more than twenty years.

It wasn't until I had the idea of using it to reach victims of abuse that I had the motivation to turn it into a fictional novel and finish it. Now, with over 30 years of writing experience, I'm taking a leap of faith and will soon be traveling the U.S. to celebrate independent bookstores and travel destinations, share stories, reveal my getting healthy journey, and inspire writers to write, publish, and promote their own books.

I call this blog "Open Book" because I am transparent about my own life and it's also a play on words since I am a writer. Open Book will be a compilation of videos, articles, and an inside look into my life as I set out on "The Next Chapter Tour." 
Overall, I aim to inspire others to create a healthy, minimalistic, debt-free lifestyle.